In Honor of Mrs. Mary Arnone Congemi who passed away on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at the age of 93 years old

 Mama Congemi’s Recipes

This is Mrs. Congemi's family favorite, "bracioloni over angel-hair pasta" But, to get this recipe to taste just right, you must cook meatballs in your gravy in addition to the stuffed veal rounds. So, she has two recipes for you.

Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs (raw)
5-6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients together well.
Form small meatballs approximately 1-1/2 inches round.
Microwave for five minutes.
Finish cooking in red gravy


Bracioloni

2 or 3 veal rounds, rinsed and patted dry - pound to flatten and thin (easier
to roll)

Stuffing mixture:
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together well all stuffing ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on flattened veal
rounds. Fold each side of round to middle then roll up and tie with cotton
string to keep stuffing inside. Fry in lightly oiled pan until browned on all
sides.
Finish cooking in red gravy.


Red Gravy

1 large can tomato paste
1 large can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
Chopped onions, garlic, parsley and celery (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in large pot and cook until it starts to brown stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add water (about 3 cans). Gravy should be a little thinner than usual to allow for thickening during cooking time.

Stir and add bracioloni and meatballs. Cover and cook down (stir often) for about 2-1/2 hours. Add water as necessary if gravy thickens too much.