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sweet Italian sausage, and there is a story behind how I came to have this recipe. Many moons ago, I was standing in line at the Central Grocery store in the French Quarter with my package of Italian sausage. A gentleman behind me in the line asked me what I planned to do with my sausage. I explained that I was going to slap it on my small grill, then make a sandwich with the grilled sausage, Italian bread and olive salad that I had just purchased.

He told me that his favorite use of Italian sausage was to make his mother’s spaghetti sauce, then asked if I would like to have the recipe. Well, of course, I said. So while we inched our way up to the cash register, he penned the recipe on the back of his business card. I slipped it into my purse and promised I would give it try. We said our good- byes after we paid for our purchases. It wasn’t until I got to my apartment that I looked at the reverse side of the business card. I whooped! The name on the card was Francis Ford Coppola, the famous Hollywood director. I learned that he had an apartment at the time in the French Quarter. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I shared his mother’s recipe with you.

SPAGHETTI SUPPERS

Francis Ford Coppola’s Mother’s Spaghetti Serves 6 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 cup Italian red wine 1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes 1 (6-ounce) can Italian tomato paste 1 tablespoon dried sweet basil 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or more to taste) 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste) 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar (or more to taste) 1 ½ pounds fresh Italian pork

sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled Cooked meatballs Hot cooked spaghetti HOW TO PREP In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the red wine. Add the whole Italian tomatoes. Add the tomato paste. Rinse the remnants of the paste out of the can with some water, and add the water to the pot. Add a tablespoon of dried sweet basil, and salt, red pepper and sugar to taste. Stir. When the sauce comes to a light boil, add the Italian sausage and simmer the sauce over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water if the sauce gets too thick. During the last hour or so, adjust the seasonings, if needed, and partly cover the pot. Serve over spaghetti, and drink the rest of the wine.

by Marcelle Bienvenu

When I was a youngster, I could tell what day it was by what Mama prepared for supper. For the better part of my childhood, Thursday was spaghetti night. I loved it. I am addicted to any kind of red gravy with spaghetti. Mama’s sauce was always the same, but it was always a surprise as to what protein she would use — whether we would have meatballs, chunks of round steak or thin-cut pork chops floating around in the sauce. Mama always made extra, too, so that I could have my very own bowl of leftovers for Saturday lunch. I am not ashamed to admit that I sometimes got up in the middle of the night, pulled out the cold leftovers and spooned some of that deliciousness into my mouth. I’m sure Mama knew of my midnight snack, but she never let on. Like Mama, when I make red sauce I use a variety of meats, but there’s one version that has become my favorite. It’s made with

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