We Asked An Italian Nonna Her Secret To The Perfect Pasta Sauce

There's something incredibly sacred about cooking with your grandmother. When Toni Ferrara reached out to us about her 96-year-old Nonna Ginny's Sunday sauce, we pounced. As you can probably guess, Nonna Ginny's biggest secret to making the perfect sauce is to cook with love.

"Cooking with love means putting your heart into every stir of the sauce," Nonna Ginny told The Takeout. "It's not just about the ingredients, it's about who you're feeding. When I make pasta sauce, I'm not just making a meal; I'm creating a memory. There's pride in every pot because I'm cooking it for the ones I love. It's a love letter. The kitchen becomes a place of togetherness, where the aroma brings everyone home."

Nonna Ginny still makes Sunday sauce for her family. Sunday sauce (also known as Sunday gravy or sugo) is an Italian-American tradition of making a rich, marinara-like pasta sauce (usually with meat) on Sunday. But this isn't just any sauce — this one simmers on the stove for hours and is served up family style that night. Why Sunday? Usually, there's nothing to do but be together, allowing for extra cooking time. This tradition is widespread, playing a critical part in Vince Vaughn's "Nonnas" film that's dominating the charts and inspiring Anthony Bourdain to realize his childhood desire to be Italian. One of our former writers, Jeff Cioletti, once reflected on how he learned to make Sunday sauce from his huge Jersey family.

"This sauce isn't just a recipe, it's a part of our story," Nonna Ginny continued. "My mother taught me by heart, not by paper. Every stir, every pinch of salt, it holds a memory." To start, add to your pot enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once it's warmed, add minced garlic — just watch the heat. "You burn the garlic, you ruin the whole thing. It gets bitter, like bad memories." Then, add a can of plum tomatoes ("Give 'em a good puree," she instructs) and a can of crushed tomatoes. Once you do, fill one of the cans with water and pour it in. "Don't let a drop go to waste." And don't balk at the canned goods — the flavor is more consistent year-round with canned tomatoes than fresh.

Next, add salt, a little pepper, and fresh basil before putting the heat on low and putting the lid on halfway. "Don't cover it all the way. You'll steam the tomatoes, and we're not makin' soup here," she says. Stir it every so often while it cooks low and slow for about 90 minutes. "When the bubbling stops and the house smells like heaven, that's when you turn off the stove." Make the pasta and another nonna's focaccia that tastes like love soaked in olive oil and serve. As Nonna Ginny puts it, "No sugar, no fancy tricks, just garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, and love. That's our way."