Garlic has played a supporting role in several Hollywood films. In a most memorable scene in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, an imprisoned Paul Sorvino slices garlic paper-thin with a razor blade so it would liquify in the pan with just a little olive oil. Scorsese’s mother, Catherine, cooked the food seen in the film and also appeared in a cameo as Joe Pesci’s mother. This is the recipe for Mama Scorsese’s meat sauce recipe — the one prepared in the prison scene:

Mama Scorsese's Meat Sauce

For meat sauce:
1/2 pound piece shank of veal, whole
1/2 pound pork sausage
olive oil
One medium onion, finely chopped
5 large garlic cloves or more, whole
6 ounces tomato paste
2 (28 ounces) cans Italian-style tomatoes (preferably Redpak brand)

For meatballs:
1 lb. ground mixture of veal, beef, & pork
1 egg
grated Locatelli & sardo cheeses
fresh parsley
garlic salt (optional)
salt & finely ground red pepper
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
bread crumbs if needed for consistency

Sauté sausage & veal in a large pot in olive oil until a little brown. Put aside. Sauté onion & garlic cloves in the same pot until golden. Add tomato paste & 3 paste cans of water to pot. Put tomatoes through a sieve to get rid of seeds & add to pot. Cook on low flame.

When sauce starts to bubble, add salt & red pepper to taste & simmer for a while, stirring every now & then from the bottom up. Don't put in any oregano; it keeps repeating on you.

Add the large pieces of veal & pork. Cook uncovered until meat comes apart with a fork.

Mix meatball ingredients together & roll into egg-size balls. Put raw meatballs in the sauce — do not fry them. When meatballs float to the top of the sauce (don't stir until they do), they should be done. Simmer & stir a few more minutes.

Remove pieces of veal & pork, slice, & serve as a side dish with meatballs. Serve sauce over spaghetti or whatever pasta you want.

(Serves two very hearty eaters, with 1 pound of pasta)