Grandma's Sunday Sauce

Simmered for hours, grandma's Sunday sauce recipe is fully of comforting stick-to-your-ribs flavor.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 376 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound pork ribs, chopped
• 6 (3.5 ounce) links Italian sausages
• ¼ cup red wine, divided
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot and cook pork ribs until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook sausages until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the same plate as the ribs.

Step 2

Drain off some of the excess fat. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in remaining olive oil. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; make sure not to burn. Pour in 1/2 of the red wine and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Step 3

Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir until paste starts to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining red wine and water.

Step 4

Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing by hand as you add them to the pot. Season with basil, remaining salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer. Taste and add sugar if sauce is too acidic.

Step 5

Return ribs to the pot. Simmer, partially covered, adding more liquid if needed, for at least 2 hours. Add sausages back to the pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Add fresh basil during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Discard bones before serving.