Rant: My grandma insisted on boiling the pasta sauce for 3 hours and I finally tried it her way

My Nonna Rosa always said our Sunday gravy needed a full three hours on the stove to 'marry the flavors,' and I thought that was just old-school overkill. I tried making it my way for years, simmering it for just an hour, and it was always a bit thin and sharp. Last week, I gave her method a real shot with the full simmer time, and the difference in my kitchen in Pasadena was unbelievable, the sauce got so rich and deep. Has anyone else had a family cooking rule they resisted that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

noah3263mo ago

Wait, three whole hours? That sounds crazy but I guess it really works!

ray6486d ago

Three whole hours" - yeah, that's what I tell people when they ask why my sauce tastes like I've been slaving over it all day when really I just set a timer and watched two episodes of something. 45 minutes is fine if you're in a hurry, but three hours is the difference between a good sauce and a sauce that makes people ask for the recipe. Uncle in Fresno can keep his quick simmer, I'll take the lazy man's approach and let the pot do the work.

grant1303mo ago

My uncle in Fresno swears by a 45 minute simmer and his sauce is always perfect, so I'm not sold on needing that long.