Wonder if that might be a regional thing ... my father-in-law used to make a point of saying his people were from Naples rather than Sicily. To my non-Italian ass it was all just "Italy," and in my upbringing Italian food all had red sauce and gravy was the brown stuff that came with roast beef, pot roast, etc. My first Thanksgiving dinner with my wife's family surprised the shit outta me when I was asked if I wanted more (red) gravy, and there was spaghetti right there near the turkey and stuffing and such.
That’s hysterical, brought a smile to my face. I’m Italian, and everything you said is what I heard so many times with my parents. Even my dad making it a point saying he’s from Naples and my mother’s Sicilian.
Mom’s meals were mostly fish. Salmon, talepia, fluke, shrimp, etc.
Dad loved to make the pasta and sauce. He was known for his gigantic sized meatballs. I’m talking 3x the size of an ordinary meatball. Lol, damn those were good. And forget about it when it comes to dieting in a carb loving Italian household. It’s impossible not to put on weight after a Sunday afternoon dinner.
