Iris: I don't understand ? You are asking for a Sauce without meat. ( with meat it's Gravy )
Then you ask about Meatballs.

Are you a no meat person?
How about a Seafood Spaghetti Sauce ?

The Gravy I like the best is with all kinds of Meat,
Meat Balls, Sausage, and Chicken Thighs.
LOU

I rarely make meatballs, haven't found a meatball recipe that I like enough to make them often.

I actually prefer sauce with no meat, but Tim like sausage in it so I compromise and add just a little sausage.

I can my own spaghetti sauce and usually se that. But if I am out or just want to make it fresh, here is the recipe I like the best. Add meat or not...it's up to you.

Basic Marinara
Source: Cooking Light October 2007

3T olive oil
3 c chopped onion
1T sugar
3T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2T balsamic vinegar
2 c chicken broth
3 28oz cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, cook 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel), cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat 50-60 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Yield: about 12 cups sauce

Linda

Are you talking red sauces or including everything else?

I'm no huge fan of red but I've made a bolognese as of late that made me a convert! Aside from the straight reds I do love a good vodka sauce, fresh pesto, light primaveras, a carbonara light on the evoo, and a butter spray with a complement of nice H&S and a shave of parm. I have a Williams Sonoma pasta book [out of print] that really reaches the corners of regional variations and an Italian cookbook/encyclopaedia and I would be happy to share/type up any recipes if you give me an idea of what you mighht like. Alternatively I can give you a roster to choose from :)

What are you after?

This is my grandmother Vittoria's sauce -- withOUT the meat:

Vittoria's Spaghetti Sauce

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

2 pounds spaghetti

4 Tbs olive oil
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
30 ounces tomato, peeled and diced
30 ounces tomato sauce
24 ounces tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery, cut in half
1 whole bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley, Italian flat leaf
3 sprigs oregano
1 cup Chianti
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup basil, fresh, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper
salt -- to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in bottom of large stock pot on medium-high. Put in onion and sauté until soft.

Add tomato (with juices), tomato sauce, tomato paste and a bouquet garni of garlic, parsley, oregano, and the bay leaf (enclosed within the halves of the celery stalk).

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours on low. Keep a lid on the pot but keep it slightly askew.

Add Chianti, pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pepper and salt.

Simmer for another 1 hour. Lid back on, askew.

If you make meatballs, add them to the last hour of cooking.

As Lou, I'm a little curious -- you want a meatless sauce but you want to put meatballs in it?

I'm sure this side topic will come up...

Where I grew up, sauce was called "sugo" (sugu), regardless of what was in it (meat or not). But I did hear some Italians use the word "ragu" for sauces with meat (usually referred to as "Bolognese").

I checked my Harper Collins 700-page English-Italian Dictionary and I found that for the English word "gravy", the Italian would be "sugo dell'arrosto", literally meaning "sauce of a roast". Also under "gravy" is "intingolo della carne", literally meaning "saucy dish of meat".

Joe

Hi Joe:
I understood WTRO is when you AOVT and then you BKOP in the
Cooking Sauce. ( Gotcha!!!!!)
I don't like them Acronyms either.

Back to the Meatless Tomatoe Sauce, with Meatballs.

From what I've heard in the neighborhood ( Little Italy )
growing up,
The Italian - American people called Spaghetti Sauce,
" Gravy " because it was made with Meat.

You would think it would be something like Sugo e Pomodoro

We also made a Marinara Sauce and then added Fish or Mussels , etc.

Lou

Tomatoes, some onion, mushrooms, italian seasonings, garlic, a bit of olive oil, and cheese. A thin runny sauce but that is what garlic bread is for... mopping up. Parmeasan cheese helps thicken it up some. I like a good mozerella grated in which turns to long strings that blend in with the spagetti noodles.

I often make this because it is very fast and easy. No meat to mess with so it can be ready as quick as you can cook the noodles. No set amounts... mostly tomatoes and then what I have around for cheeses and mushrooms.... sometimes some summer squash.

: )
lyra

I don't eat much meat, but the kids like it so I generally make a meatless sauce and then meatballs separately. Thanks for your help!