I Tried the Famous 'Nonnas' Sunday Sauce—Now I'll Never Make Pasta Without It

Yahoo

09-05-2025

Write me a love song? That's incredibly thoughtful. Buy me a gift? I'll be oh-so grateful. But cook me a meal? Now that's true love.
We all chuckle when someone tells you the secret ingredient in their dish is 'love,' but isn't it true? Sure, 'love' doesn't replace the extra dash of pepper, but doesn't it always seem like a recipe tastes better when someone else makes it for you? You could make a recipe a hundred times, but it will never taste the same as when your grandma served it to you at her kitchen table. And that's exactly what the new Netflix film 'Nonnas' is all about.
'Nonnas,' which was inspired by a true story, follows Joe Scaravella, played by Vince Vaughn, as he embarks on a journey to open a restaurant in memory of his late mother. The restaurant—which is a real restaurant in Staten Island, New York—Enoteca Maria, is unique because Joe doesn't hire professional chefs. Instead, all the chefs are Italian grandmothers, or Nonnas.
As much love as you see on-screen between Joe and his friend Bruno (Joe Manganiello) and the Nonnas, played by Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro, and Talia Shire, there's just as much off.
'This is my love letter to my family,' writer Liz Maccie said in an interview with Allrecipes. '[The movie is about] family and that you can find family everywhere.'
Even the film itself, which was released on Netflix on May 9, was a family affair. Maccie's husband, Stephen Chbosky, who's known for previous works like 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' 'Wonder,' and 'Dear Evan Hansen,' directed the film.
'I was very inspired by Joe's belief in his Nonnas. I was very inspired by Liz's love for her family and the reverence that she has for the women in her family. I was the translator,' Chbosky told Allrecipes.
Throughout 'Nonnas,' not only is Joe grappling with the struggles of opening a restaurant, but he's also grieving the loss of his mother. Multiple times in the film, Joe laments that he has never been able to perfect his Nonna's Sunday gravy—or Sunday sauce—because he doesn't have a physical recipe and he can't seem to nail down the secret ingredient. Finally, Joe opens a letter his late mother left for him that he couldn't bring himself to open in the past, and what do you know, it's filled with her and his Nonna's recipes—including the Sunday gravy.
Before you blot your tears, this story gets even sweeter. Those recipes we see in the film? Those are actually Maccie's own family recipe cards.
'When my aunt, who was really my Nonna, was passing away, Steve was so incredible and he wrote to her and said, 'You have to write down your recipes for Liz,'' Maccie recalled. 'He convinced her to do it, she did it, she passed away, and he gave it to me as a Christmas gift. So those recipes are actually my family's handwriting.'
Because the Sunday gravy plays such an important role in 'Nonnas,' and has an even deeper connection for Maccie and Chbosky, I knew I had to make it. It did require some tinkering because, in the film, we only see the ingredients list and no real directions—but that's pretty true to my grandma's recipes in real life, anyway.
It did prove a little trickier than deciphering my grandma's recipes, however, because the secret ingredient Joe discovers in the film is apples. However, after watching 'Nonnas' sauce-making scenes closer, I discovered that Joe's Nonna boiled the apples to make an apple cider-like mixture to add sweetness to the sauce. And, even though Maccie says her family's true secret ingredient is cinnamon, I followed the 'Nonnas' recipe for Sunday gravy.
The apple cider may sound like a bizarre addition, but it adds a complex sweetness to the sauce that regular granulated sugar can't replicate.
Once you make the recipe, you'll get it. Hey, never doubt a Nonna, even if Lorraine Bracco, who plays Roberta, joked that none of the actresses playing the titular Nonnas in the film actually knew their way around the kitchen. It's a good thing Maccie's Nonna had them covered.
Here is how to make the famous 'Nonnas' Sunday Gravy.
2 red apples, quartered
7 cups water
6 links hot or sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 (14.5-ounce cans) whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried or fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon dried or fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
In a large pot over medium heat, add apples and water. Allow to simmer until apples are tender and cider is fragrant, about 1 hour. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth; discard apples and set aside to cool.
To a skillet over medium-high heat, add sausage links and brown. Drain the fat and set the cooked sausages aside.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and apple cider, cook until smooth. Add basil, oregano, pepper, and parsley.
Slice sausages into large chunks and add to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.
Read the original article on ALLRECIPES