What else can you say about classic Sunday Sauce? This sauce recipe is tried and true, passed down from generation to generation. Browning off the meat to start is an absolute must, laying the ultimate foundation for creating a perfect sauce. Some may say that the addition of a little sugar is controversial, but it balances out the acidity from the tomatoes and perfectly rounds out this deeply flavorful and satisfying classic Sunday sauce.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meatloaf mix (ground pork, beef and veal)
- 1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound pork bones (neck or rib)
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage links
- 2 small onions, small dice
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 medium cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- Three 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, puréed in a blender, cans reserved
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 16 fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 pound your favorite pasta, cooked
- Grated Parmesan
- 1 loaf crusty Italian bread
Instructions
- For the meatballs: Spread the ground meat mixture in the bottom of a large bowl (or on a sheet pan). Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes and egg. Use your hands to lightly mix all of the ingredients together, being careful not to overmix. Roll the mixture into balls (2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter). You should get about 10 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a sheet pan in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Working in batches if necessary, cook the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart so as to not overcrowd the skillet. Cook, rotating the meatballs every couple of minutes to brown all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them to a clean sheet pan or plate. Set aside.
- For the sauce: While the meatballs are cooking, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it start to smoke slightly. Add the pork bones and sear until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and place on a plate or sheet pan. Add the sausage to the pot and brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and add to the pork bones.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, dried parsley or Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and let cook until the garlic almost liquifies in the pot, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
- Add the puréed tomatoes. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the tomato cans and swirl them around to rinse off the residual tomato that clings to the sides. Add the tomato water to the pot along with the sugar and half the basil. Season with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Give the pot a good stir, then add the seared pork bones, sausage and meatballs. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low. Place a lid on top of the pot, but don’t cover it completely; leave a small opening to allow some steam to escape. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened a bit and the meat is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Add the remaining fresh basil and stir gently. Serve the sauce and meat over your favorite pasta with grated cheese on the side and with a loaf of crusty Italian bread.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 905 |
| Total Fat | 41 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 87 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Protein | 47 g |
| Cholesterol | 127 mg |
| Sodium | 1487 mg |
Reviews
Great recipe. It’s how I make my sauce all the time, but so nice that now I have measurements when someone asks for my recipe. I typically don’t measure, taste as I go. I’ve used sugar to balance the acidity, and sometimes a splash of red vermouth too. Delish!
Actually made this recipe, but I think that I made a mistake with the water. Is it 1-1/2 cups in each can or a total of 1-1/2 cups.?
The sauce and meatballs are delicious… my favorite recipe from The Kitchen by far. I used all beef for my meatballs and I got 5 stars from the whole family. Must use good Italian tomatoes in my opinion.
I’ve made this recipe multiple times since the episode aired. Do not omit the pork neck bones. If you cannot find pork neck bones then substitute for a pound of pork ribs.
I’ve been cooking for 45 years and made my share of red sauce. My husband says it’s the best I’ve ever made. Now if my dishwasher wasn’t clogged, it would be a happy Friday!
Delish! Changes that I made: I cut each sausage link into 4 pieces after cooking as the links were very long. Added extra red pepper flakes. Excellent – very very good! Makes a very large batch!
I made an almost identical recipe around September 2010 from an America’s Test Kitchen episode. I made myself a note saying that is was excellent, better than our usual spaghetti sauce. The reason I am posting this is because of the pork neck bone comments. The recipe I used, called for 1 rack of baby back ribs. That might be worth considering instead of the neck bones.
Followed recipe to the letter. It was amazing. Next time, might skip the pork bones or perhaps, I got some difficult ones. A whole Lotta cartilage. We were thinking that may be bone in pork, but might do the trick??
Answering your question, Dee C. :
I believe they used Pork Neck Bones. You could use about any piece of pork with bone and some good fat.
I believe they used Pork Neck Bones. You could use about any piece of pork with bone and some good fat.
I missed this episode – sounds delish! What kind of pork bones did they use?