Chef John's Sunday Pasta Sauce

This sauce goes by many names, including Sunday sauce, since that's the day it's traditionally made, but for me growing up, this was just called 'sauce.' As long as you cook the meat long enough, and season thoughtfully, there's really no way this sauce isn't going to be great. So, while you may not have grown up in an Italian-American home, with this comforting sauce simmering on the stove every Sunday, your family still can. Serve the sauce over pasta and top with the tender meat.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 4 hr
• Total Time: 4 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 339 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 (1 inch thick) slice beef shank
• 2 pounds pork spareribs
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed Italian (plum) tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place beef, pork, and chicken in pan and turn to coat with olive oil.

Step 3

Roast in the preheated oven until meat is well browned, 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 4

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Pour crushed tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, and tomato paste into onion mixture. Add roasted beef, pork, and chicken to tomato sauce mixture.

Step 6

Pour remaining 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour roasting pan water mixture into tomato mixture. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes into tomato sauce; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until sauce reduces and meat is tender, about 4 hours. Transfer meat to a dish. Adjust sauce seasonings to taste.