Question for the Italians

[seaboy4hire]

Spaghetti. Sauce poured on top and served or pasta mixed into the sauce and served? I prefer the sauce poured on top and served. But what do I know? I'm only Italian by injection

 

Hugs,

Greg

[jackjackjack]

My 2 1/5 cents..... When it's first served, like you said, sauce poured on top of pasta. With the remaining for left overs, mix pasta and sauce together. So the next day, the flavors meld together... the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. I think spaghetti the next day tastes better.

PS.... 'Italian by injection'??? Then you're also Greek, Spanish, Canadian, Black, and so on and so on and so on.......

[mattr]

Remove some sauce from sauce pan... then put pasta in the pan and toss so that pasta is totally coated... place pasta in serving bowl and spoon remaining sauce on top of pasta. sprinkle with a mix of 2/3 fresh grated Parmesan and 1/3 fresh grated Romano cheese and serve

[seaboy4hire]

Remove some sauce from sauce pan... then put pasta in the pan and toss so that pasta is totally coated... place pasta in serving bowl and spoon remaining sauce on top of pasta. sprinkle with a mix of 2/3 fresh grated Parmesan and 1/3 fresh grated Romano cheese and serve

 

I could compromise and eat it that way.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[BabyBoomer]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

[seaboy4hire]

My 2 1/5 cents..... When it's first served, like you said, sauce poured on top of pasta. With the remaining for left overs, mix pasta and sauce together. So the next day, the flavors meld together... the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. I think spaghetti the next day tastes better.

PS.... 'Italian by injection'??? Then you're also Greek, Spanish, Canadian, Black, and so on and so on and so on.......

 

Hmmmm I dont recall bottoming for a Canadian and never had Greek. Although Greek is on my list. Canadian, meh. Been there done that.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

 

I wonder if thats an east coast thing.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[mattr]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

 

Very true, it was always called gravy in my grandmothers kitchen.

[jackjackjack]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

Very true, it was always called gravy in my grandmothers kitchen.

 

Just doesn't sound right. spaghetti sauce......spaghetti gravy????? Just looking up definition of 'gravy'.....' fat and juices exuding from meat during cooking.'

Oh well. No matter... it's still delicious.

[rvwnsd]

My Italian friends in Chicago referred to it as sauce, as in Bolognese Sauce or Marinara Sauce. Here's a fun article on the topic from Slate:

 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/11/16/it_is_called_sauce_or_gravy_a_slate_investigation_into_the_linguistics_of.html

[mike carey]

I would say 'depends'. With meat sauces like ragu bolognese and tomato sauces spoon it onto the pasta. With a pesto or some of the bacon/egg/cream style sauces fold it through the pasta, although perhaps linguine or fettuccine rather than spaghetti. One of my favourite stir through pasta dishes, I cook 250g of pasta (usually linguine). While the pasta is cooking, fry three or four finely chopped cloves of garlic in a little oil until it just starts to brown, then throw in a 95g (3.5oz) can of tuna, a couple of good handfuls of rocket leaves and the juice of 2 lemons (or limes) and heat that through.

[seaboy4hire]

I would say 'depends'. With meat sauces like ragu bolognese and tomato sauces spoon it onto the pasta. With a pesto or some of the bacon/egg/cream style sauces fold it through the pasta, although perhaps linguine or fettuccine rather than spaghetti. One of my favourite stir through pasta dishes, I cook 250g of pasta (usually linguine). While the pasta is cooking, fry three or four finely chopped cloves of garlic in a little oil until it just starts to brown, then throw in a 95g (3.5oz) can of tuna, a couple of good handfuls of rocket leaves and the juice of 2 lemons (or limes) and heat that through.

 

What are rocket leaves?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[mike carey]

What are rocket leaves?

It's a peppery salad green, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eruca_sativa

[+ purplekow]

Just doesn't sound right. spaghetti sauce......spaghetti gravy????? Just looking up definition of 'gravy'.....' fat and juices exuding from meat during cooking.'

Oh well. No matter... it's still delicious.

It is not spaghetti gravy, it is: I need more gravy on my spaghetti, My home was very flexible with these terms. "PK I am going to the store, stir the sauce every ten minutes until I get back. I am buying some meat for the gravy." "Do not let the gravy stick to the bottom of the sauce pot."

We are talking immigrant Italian English, definitions have nothing to do with the meaning of words. You knew Uncle Joe had done something really wrong when Dad went up to him, kissed him on the cheek and said: "I love you Joey"

[Nvr2Thick]

In my family the New York Italians called it sauce while the Philly Italians called it gravy. I know some other New York Italians that call it gravy.

 

In our homes macaroni or spaghetti was served with just a little pool of sauce at the bottom of the serving bowl to keep it from sticking; no sauce on top. The sauce and grated cheese were passed around the table because everyone has different preferences. I liked a lot of sauce and just a hit of cheese for flavoring. I had an uncle who would barely coat the pasta with "sauce" and bury it in grated cheese.

[+ purplekow]

Yes, as per serving. Gravy boat filled with sauce passed and replenished as needed. Small pool of sauce at the bottom of the bowl into which the pasta (which was never called pasta, rather by its real name ziti, rigatoni, spaghetti) was poured from the colander, more likely called a strainer. When everything was being put away, all the pasta and the remaining sauce would be left in a bowl on the stove, to be emptied one forkful at a time.

[seaboy4hire]

In my family the New York Italians called it sauce while the Philly Italians called it gravy. I know some other New York Italians that call it gravy.

 

In our homes macaroni or spaghetti was served with just a little pool of sauce at the bottom of the serving bowl to keep it from sticking; no sauce on top. The sauce and grated cheese were passed around the table because everyone has different preferences. I liked a lot of sauce and just a hit of cheese for flavoring. I had an uncle who would barely coat the pasta with "sauce" and bury it in grated cheese.

 

I like a thick meaty sauce and lots of cheese.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[UnstableAtom]

I enjoy a bit of pesto thrown into the sauce after its done. Then served fresh on top of the noodles before eating.

[+ purplekow]

I enjoy a bit of pesto thrown into the sauce after its done. Then served fresh on top of the noodles before eating.

NOOODLES!!!! Nonna stop spinning in your grave, you will get dizzy.

[+ ArVaGuy]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

 

I wonder if thats an east coast thing.

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

This is an east coast term near as I can tell. My family, Sicilian, refers to the sauce as "sugo" which would be similar to a ragu in northern Italy.

 

In my community in Louisiana we celebrated the feast of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph's Day) on March 19. This was a bigger deal than Saint Patrick's when I was growing up. I was in high school before it dawned on me that this St Paddy's day was a major thing . While the Irish were getting blitzed at a bar, we Sicillians were stuffing ourselves with pasta, fish, homemade wine (and getting blitzed as well) at a Saint Joseph's Alter.

 

Since Saint Joseph's always falls during Lent there's no meat or dairy products served. The cheese was replaced by "modica" or rather herbs and bread crumbs. This was served in place of the Parmesan on spaghetti. I recommend giving it a try.

 

I can remember as a kid being part of a St Joseph's Day alter representing one of the twelve apostles. Me and a bunch of my male cousins were forced into our Sunday best on a week day, paraded around some ancient Sicilian widdow's house (who made a promise to build in an alter that year in exchange for some favor), blessed by a old priest, and huddled around a huge table that had an alter reaching up to the ceiling piled with platters of food. About the only thing that made this worth while for this eight year-old was we got to taste everything first and had a glass of wine to savor with this meal.

 

Preparing one of these alters was no small feat and it wasn't cheap either. Hence it was a promise to a major Saint for a favor. Everyone who visited the home has to be fed and given food to take home. Thus an army of Italian grandmothers would be marshaled for months preparing breads pasta, smoked fish, and cookies to be served at this alter. The only event that rivaled this for complexity was Christmas.

 

Imagine the scene, a half dozen old Sicilian widdow's in black dresses, dandruff on the shoulders like snowflakes, and a stained apron with used Kleenex in one pocket, Rosary beads in the other, a Miraculous Medal and/or a Green Scapula around the neck, drinking wine and arguing about something during "the war" in a kitchen preparing all this food to feed a couple hundred people. To this day I'm not sure if they were arguing about World War II, World War I, or the War for Italian Independence. There were references to Garibaldi and Mussolini and maybe even Frank Sinatra.

 

Anyone else grow up with an Italian Experience like mine?

[klifhangar]

I put the sauce on the top of the pasta with the first meal then stir it all together for leftovers.

 

I used to always make my spaghetti sauce completely from scratch and still do - only during the summer when I have garden tomatoes. Lately, I have been cheating and buying the Ragu sauce then adding roasted garlic, sautéed sausage and beef or ground turkey, onion, garlic,, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and a shitload of spices. It's really just as good.

[craigville beach]

What are rocket leaves?

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

a/k/a arugula

[mike carey]

a/k/a arugula

Yup, I had no idea if it was called something else in the US and if so what until I looked it up. Divided by a common language yet again!

[+ Truereview]

This is an east coast term near as I can tell. My family, Sicilian, refers to the sauce as "sugo" which would be similar to a ragu in northern Italy.

 

In my community in Louisiana we celebrated the feast of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph's Day) on March 19. This was a bigger deal than Saint Patrick's when I was growing up. I was in high school before it dawned on me that this St Paddy's day was a major thing . While the Irish were getting blitzed at a bar, we Sicillians were stuffing ourselves with pasta, fish, homemade wine (and getting blitzed as well) at a Saint Joseph's Alter.

 

Since Saint Joseph's always falls during Lent there's no meat or dairy products served. The cheese was replaced by "modica" or rather herbs and bread crumbs. This was served in place of the Parmesan on spaghetti. I recommend giving it a try.

 

I can remember as a kid being part of a St Joseph's Day alter representing one of the twelve apostles. Me and a bunch of my male cousins were forced into our Sunday best on a week day, paraded around some ancient Sicilian widdow's house (who made a promise to build in an alter that year in exchange for some favor), blessed by a old priest, and huddled around a huge table that had an alter reaching up to the ceiling piled with platters of food. About the only thing that made this worth while for this eight year-old was we got to taste everything first and had a glass of wine to savor with this meal.

 

Preparing one of these alters was no small feat and it wasn't cheap either. Hence it was a promise to a major Saint for a favor. Everyone who visited the home has to be fed and given food to take home. Thus an army of Italian grandmothers would be marshaled for months preparing breads pasta, smoked fish, and cookies to be served at this alter. The only event that rivaled this for complexity was Christmas.

 

Imagine the scene, a half dozen old Sicilian widdow's in black dresses, dandruff on the shoulders like snowflakes, and a stained apron with used Kleenex in one pocket, Rosary beads in the other, a Miraculous Medal and/or a Green Scapula around the neck, drinking wine and arguing about something during "the war" in a kitchen preparing all this food to feed a couple hundred people. To this day I'm not sure if they were arguing about World War II, World War I, or the War for Italian Independence. There were references to Garibaldi and Mussolini and maybe even Frank Sinatra.

 

Anyone else grow up with an Italian Experience like mine?

Thank you for that slice of life post. Loved it!

[dcguy20]

All of my Italian friends refer to sauce as gravy.

~ Boomer ~

Boomer, I'm an east coast Italian and we never used the word gravy! Gravy is what we put on our turkey. Sauce was something tomato based.

 

I make ragatoni with vodka sauce, and add the pasta to the sauce in the pan and let it absorb slightly.