This sauce has done a lot of heavy lifting in Nanna’s kitchen — meatballs, lasagne, you name it. With red wine, herbs, and her signature slow simmer, it’s the kind of recipe you’ll try once, then immediately wonder how many different dishes you can put it on (hint: endless possibilities!).
You will need
Serves 6-8
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 125ml red wine
- 2 x 700ml passata (we used Mutti)
- 1-3 bay leaves, dried or fresh
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (we used Ariosto Italian Seasoning for Pasta Sauce)
- 1 tablespoon mixed herbs (we used Masterfoods Spaghetti Bolognese Seasoning)
- Fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
Recipe: Nanna Mirella
Photography: Rainbow Nourishments
Directions
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Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves and season with mixed herbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
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Step 2
Pour in the red wine and simmer for around 10 minutes or until the wine has completely evaporated.
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Step 3
Add the passata. Then, fill the empty bottles halfway with water, swish them around and pour into your pan. Stir gently.
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Step 4
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook the sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
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Step 5
Add salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh basil leaves to serve.
Hot tip!
Nanna swears by Ariosto sauce seasoning! You can find it in specialty Italian supermarkets or online.
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Recipe: Nanna Mirella
Photography: Rainbow Nourishments
