‘The Godfather’ Sauce

There is no mistaking fall has arrived in Washington. Smelling the season’s first day of rain, cast a spell on our family and sent us straight into hibernation. Lazy days are few and far between at our house — when we get them, we go all out. Jammies. Blankies. Fireplace. Movies. Books. Puzzles. Bliss.

My husband and I snuggled up to watch his all-time fave movie, ‘The Godfather’. I got a kick out of Clemenza’s red sauce demo. Of course, I ended up in my kitchen speaking with a fake Italian accent, throwing together my Paleo version of The Godfather Sauce.

“Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn’t stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs; heh…? And a little bit o’ wine. An’ a little bit o’ sugar, and that’s my trick.” — Clemenza in ‘The Godfather’

There are many ways to use The Godfather Sauce without pasta, remaining in Paleo-rificness. A few ideas to inspire you:
1) Smother on top of rosemary chicken, serve with a side of broccoli.
2) Go with Clemenza’s idea, add meatballs to the mix and serve with spaghetti squash.
3) Use as a dipping sauce for meatloaf.
4) Mix with a medley of roasted veggies like zucchini, onions, peas and cherry tomatoes.

GROCERY LIST

¼ Cup Olive Oil

½ Onion, chopped

6 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 Large Cans Tomatoes, crushed

1 Small Can Tomato Paste,

1 Cup Red Wine

2 TBSP Italian Herbs, fresh — OR – 1 TBSP dried

COOKING INSTRUCTION

1) In a large frying pan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.

2) Stir in both cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine and herbs.

3) Bring sauce to a boil, turn heat down to low and simmer 40 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sauce sticking to the pan. If sauce is too thick, add a ¼ cup water to thin it out. Serve warm.

4) After you’ve enjoyed your meal, allow any remaining sauce to cool and store in freezer for later use.

From my kitchen, to yours…. Enjoy!!