aspenhill's blog: Spaghetti Sauce

Winter is for indoor pursuits and I don't have much in the way of gardening to blog about. Inspiration came from a recent blog post by @slowcala when she mentioned making a most delicious spaghetti sauce that she read about in a book by Nicholas Sparks.

My grandfather was born in the United States in the early 1900s to Italian immigrant parents. He did a lot of cooking, which I thought was unusual in the day and age when that role was usually designated to the wife in the household. He never used recipes, just did it by long habit and taste. After my mom and dad got married, she wanted to be able to make "Pappy's" spaghetti sauce and meatballs for my dad. To create a recipe, she stood next to him at the stove and measured out all the ingredients he was using as he threw them into the pot. I know the amounts varied with each batch he made, but the recipe is as close as my mom could get it.

I started eating Pappy's spaghetti and meatballs as soon as I graduated from baby food. It was always served with tubular ziti pasta, not the more familiar long thin spaghetti pasta. It has been a favorite as long as I can remember. Now when I make it all these many years since his passing, it evokes memories of him. There is such a warm feeling knowing that you are doing the same thing as the generations that came before you did. I remember Pappy always wore a white shirt and a tie, even on casual days, and he always had a huge smile and the most wonderful laugh. He was one of those people that made you feel special. This is a photo collage that I put together of Pappy's sauce, Pappy, and me as a toddler eating his spaghetti.



Pappy's recipe is the one I make the most, but I've also tried various recipes from my canning cookbooks. There are so many variations and being of Italian descent, I love a good sauce. The recipe that slowcala mentioned is totally different and easy. I can't wait to try it.

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