Here is an old family recipe, passed down through generations, all the way from the old country…Sicily, that is!

You will need a very large pot unless you cut this recipe in half, but why not make a whole batch to share with family and friends, or freeze to enjoy again on another day! Thanks to Jo and her daughter Jacki for sharing the old family secret…shhhhh!

Ingredients:

  • 6 or 7 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 lb. of ground beef
  • 2 lbs. of Italian sausage (not in casings). Spicy sausage can be used, depending on your preference.
  • 6 28-ounce (1 lb. 12 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes (If you can, use the imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes.)
  • 1 10-ounce can of tomato paste
  • 1 can water (Jo used one of the empty cans of crushed tomatoes)
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried crushed basil
  • Red pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (Jo says this will cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
  • Fresh basil (optional)

Here is the secret ingredient!

2 packages or about 6-7 ham hocks! (Make sure they are not smoked.) Yes, girlfriends, this will take this sauce over the top with flavor and richness.

Jo boils them first and sets them aside until just the right moment.

Directions:

  1. Prep the garlic and onions.
  2. Heat the pot over medium heat, and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a very large stock pot with a thin layer. Jo doesn’t use measurements, but my guess is that it was about 4 tablespoons.
  3. Sauté the onions until very tender, being careful to not brown them. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes longer until the garlic is fragrant and tender.
  4. Now brown the meat, breaking up the sausage and ground beef with a spoon.
  5. When the meat is browned, add the tomato paste and combine well before adding all the crushed tomatoes.
  6. Add the 28-ounce can of water and the red wine.
  7. Stir in the spices and sugar and reduce the heat to medium low until the sauce begins to simmer.
  8. Now add the baking soda, sprinkling over the simmering sauce.
  9. Once the sauce is simmering and you have added all the other ingredients, now is the moment for our secret! Add all the ham hocks to the sauce and let simmer gently for 2–3 hours.
  10. Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking!
  11. Remove the ham hocks (If you prefer, you can remove the meat and add it back to the sauce) and there you have Mom Jo’s amazing old world spaghetti sauce!
  12. Before serving, you can chop fresh basil and sprinkle on top.

Jo also brought over some of her fresh meatballs to add to the sauce in the last 20 minutes. She didn’t share this wonderful recipe with me (maybe next time!) but here are the base ingredients that she mentioned: a combination of pork, beef, bread crumbs, and cheese, formed in to large golf size balls and browned in oil but not cooked through. The meatballs will finish their cooking time in the sauce, adding yet another layer of deliciousness!