My grandmother (Nan) was a phenomenal cook. When I was young, I pretended I didn't care, but she fascinated me in the kitchen. She made the most amazing food anyone's ever tasted. Every Thanksgiving, she served escarole soup, followed by the Italian course (spaghetti and meatballs with homemade pasta, of course), followed by the full turkey dinner and dessert. It was all out of this world. It's no wonder I was so heavy!

Anyway, I was never prepared to think of her leaving my life. But by the time she was 85, I'd come to terms with the fact that it was inevitable and I needed to know a few things to pass on her legacy. When I asked her for her spaghetti and meatball recipes, she said she never had any. She just knew them. I wanted her to write them, but she said she really couldn't. Finally, remanding her to my inquiries, we spent an afternoon together and we got to the bottom of it. I've managed to duplicate them, even having rid them of most of the fat. These recipes evoke some of my fondest memories of Nan and of food, period.

So, here's to you Nan ... an acknowledgement of your creations in black and white in hopes that other kids (young and old) will be lucky enough to drip red (sauce) on their holiday clothing in sheer delight. I love you!

For Nan's Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups minced sweet (yellow) onion
2 tablespoons minced or crushed garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dried bay leaf

Place a 4 or 6 quart, non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until they are opaque and tender but not at all browned, about 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water, stirring until smooth. Add the parsley, sugar, salt, basil, cloves and bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook the sauce over the lowest heat setting for at least three hours, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately or store it in re-sealable plastic containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 1 month.

Makes approximately 8 cups; 16 servings.

Each (1/2 cup) serving has: 65 calories, 3 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, trace amount saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 366 mg sodium

Devin Says:
Some canned tomatoes are sweeter than others based on the brand and the season when they were picked. If you find the sauce to be at all bitter, add half of a tablespoon of sugar at a time until it is no longer bitter.