Sunday Supper #2 and The Super Good Pasta Sauce

Another Rosenberg Sunday Supper has passed and it was a beauty. Jeff’s 92 –year-old grandmother, Grandma Sylvia, and her 95-year-old boyfriend, Nat, were visiting from Florida and were special guests for the evening. (Please do not tell Grandma Sylvia that I have revealed her age to the internet.) She brought her famous strudel cookies which she made in Florida and brought to California on the plane. I adore them both.

My friend Karen brought over a violin (and garlic bread). Grandma Sylvia is a former violin concert-mistress. To kick off the evening, she borrowed Karen’s instrument and laid down a few choruses of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon." It was grand. Or as Nat put it, “You’ve still got it, Baby.”

We had about 40 of our favorite people crammed into the pad and there were plenty of eats. I made a giant batch of my favorite (gluten-free) pasta and pasta sauce. A number of people asked me what was in the sauce, which is generally a good sign, unless they are asking while spitting something into a napkin – and they were not. The sauce is good, super good. I got the recipe from my friend Loretta Palazzo back in 1994. With a name like “Loretta Palazzo,” you've got to trust the sauce recipe.

Bob wrapped up the evening by leading a few of our friends in a rousing "Doe a Deer" sing-a-long, and then an original work titled, "Poo Poo Song." Our friends are enthusiastic singers, good sports, and apparently enjoy a scatological tune. It was a fine evening.

Loretta Palazzo’s Super Good Pasta Sauce

½ cup olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
8-12 garlic gloves, minced
1 medium zucchini chopped
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, including oil
1 big can of whole, peeled tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
½ cup red cooking wine
red pepper flakes, to taste
fresh basil, oregano, and Italian parsley to taste, chopped (I usually do about a half cup each)
black pepper to taste

Sautee first 5 ingredients until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower temperature and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

The sauce is also fantastic with spaghetti squash. Or just eaten straight out of the pot while it’s cooking on the stove… from what I hear.