If You Use Oregano In Your Sauce, You’re Not a Real Italian

Growing up in a 100% Italian Family, food was always a high priority, especially the treasured sauce recipe. 

And let's get this out of the way - if there is no meat in the sauce, then it's sauce, not gravy.

Anyway, I learned from a very young age from my Mom that oregano in the sauce is a HUGE no-no. Anytime we'd go out to a restaurant and she'd taste oregano, she'd make a face. My Mother even refers to it as "poison," and advises me that if you HAVE to ever use it, treat it as poison, because too much will kill the dish.

Needless to say, I developed this opinion from her, and I too cannot stand the smell or taste of oregano. I would go as far as to say that you're not really Italian if you use it in your sauce recipe (sorry) because any inauthentic Italian restaurant, pizza chain, or jarred sauce (yuck, that's a story for another day) absolutely overpowers the sauce with oregano.

It's a potent herb, and the ingredients of sauce (onion, basil, garlic, tomato, olive oil, just a little sugar to balance the acidity out) can shine on their own without oregano coming in and taking over! I'm getting hungry just thinking of a homemade sauce right now, ugh.

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Regardless of my opinion, you do you when it comes to your sauce. But, warning, I will be giving you just a little side-eye (with love) when you go to sprinkle that oregano in.

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