Sunday Gravy

This Sunday morning "gravy" recipe is essentially a traditional Italian red sauce made from scratch with meat balls for the whole family. Extra sauce freezes really well.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 392 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 ½ pounds sweet Italian sausage
• 1 bay leaf, or to taste
• 1 ½ slices white bread, left out overnight to become stale
• ½ cup finely chopped Italian leaf parsley
• 1 ½ pounds pork ribs
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or more to taste
• 3 (28 ounce) cans unpeeled crushed tomatoes, or more as needed
• 8 leaves fresh basil, chopped, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Break stale bread into very small pieces and add to a large bowl. Add beef, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and use wet hands to roll mixture into meatballs.

Step 2

Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer meatballs to a platter. Add sausage and pork ribs to the skillet and brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the platter with the meatballs.

Step 3

Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in an 8- to 10-quart pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add whole tomatoes and mash using a potato masher. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato puree; cook, stirring frequently.

Step 4

Add browned sausage and ribs to the pot. Stir in sugar, basil, bay leaf, and oregano. Cook until bubbling with lid ajar, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, about 1 hour. Stir in red wine. Continue cooking about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours more.

Step 5

Remove sauce from heat and cover. Let sit 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 6

Return sauce to medium heat and add meatballs. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting until ready to serve.