Marinara - The Pasadena Chef

Sicilian Marinara Sauce-Workhorse of Nonna’s Kitchen

July 11, 2026July 21, 2026Leave a comment

I got this marinara recipe from a friend’s grandmother. She had emigrated from Sicily in the early 1920’s and settled in the North End of Boston. She wrote the recipe down in a piece of scrap paper with a stubby little pencil. I had that piece of paper for years and then it disappeared. I admit I was pretty upset. I was planning on framing it.

She always had a batch of this sauce going on her stove, and always served it with rigatoni or mezze rigatoni.

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Homemade Italian Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

April 13, 2025July 20, 2026Leave a comment

While this is not traditionally a dish found in restaurants around Italy, I think it’s pretty much synonymous with Italian American cuisine. My approach is to keep it simple and treat it as two dishes combined. Meatballs in a marinara sauce.

There are so many options for meatballs and so many things you can add. This is my basic recipe and feel free to experiment.

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Authentic Sunday Sauce: A Step by Step To Create A Family Tradition

March 20, 2025July 20, 20262 Comments

Regular readers will know my love for Italian food runs deep, especially for the true comfort dishes practiced and perfected in kitchens by generations of nonnas (Italian grandmothers).

Sunday is a special day when the family comes together for a big meal and while each family has their own traditions of which dishes are served. In the US, the tradition of the Sunday Sauce is essential.

I was given this recipe by a coworker and she said it was her grandmother’s pride and joy. They lived in the North End in Boston and their family had been there for generations.

While this is a marinara base, the key is the slowly braised meats which flavor the sauce and then impart a flavor to the sauce that is beyond delicious. You can also add braciole, lamb necks and/or veal knuckles etc, but this is optional. Bottom line, if you cook anything in a tomato sauce for 4 hours, it will come out great.

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