Vera Valentino could tell you a thing or two about cooking for a crowd.

Every Sunday, the 78-year-old Valentino comes home from church to prepare what has become a tradition: spaghetti and meatballs for the whole family.

“I have six kids and 22 grandkids,” she says. “The majority of them show up on Sunday afternoon for spaghetti and meatballs. We do it every week. I would say we sometimes have 22 to 30 family members sitting around a table – or two tables – every Sunday afternoon. They like my sauce.”

Cooking for and with her family has been a consistent theme in Valentino’s life, she says. She learned how to cook courtesy of her mother, a woman of Italian descent who cooked strictly Italian foods.

“I remember working with her (in the kitchen) up until she passed away,” Valentino says. “With her arthritis, she couldn’t do so much, so she asked me for help. I would always go over before the holidays and help her make cookies for Easter or for Christmas. Whatever the occasion may have been, we worked together.”

Throughout the years, Valentino memorized many of these family recipes. She still keeps an eye out for other dishes to try, checking newspapers, magazines and television programs for ideas.

“I like to watch the food shows and to read recipes,” she says. “When I look through magazines, I look for recipes first, then I go back to read the stories. Cooking and baking are what I’m interested in.”

Mindful of the legacy her mother left her, Valentino has made a conscious effort to teach her children how to cook. She says they all know their way around the kitchen, and some have even gained her love of cooking.

“They all make sure they have their own little book (of my recipes),” Valentino says. “One of my daughters wanted that as her graduation gift from high school. She wanted me to make her a little cookbook with all the recipes and all the foods that we eat. That’s all she wanted.”

From passing on recipes to passing the spaghetti around the Sunday table, Valentino’s love of family plays the biggest role: seeing them together around her kitchen table brings her joy.

“I’m thrilled. I like for the kids to come over,” she says. “My house isn’t that big, but it accommodates them well enough. They all love to see each other. I love that more than anything.”

Valentino shares her recipe for zucchini stew, a family favorite, with Upper Arlington Magazine.

Vera Valentino’s zucchini stew
2 tablespoons oil
1 garlic clove
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 to 5 cups zucchini, chopped (If using a larger, garden-grown zucchini, remove seeds first. Use a food processor to finely chop, if desired.)
1 hot banana pepper, chopped
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 8-ounce can water
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in pot. Cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes.