Sunday Sauce
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Sunday sauce is a no nonsense Authentic Italian recipe, A slow simmered, meaty rich, tomato sauce known for its bold flavor and long cooking time. This Italian gravy is served over pasta and it’s full of Italian sausage and homemade meatballs. This Is Italian comfort food perfect for cozy Sunday evenings.
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Table of Contents
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What is Sunday Sauce?
Sunday sauce is an Authentic Italian recipe for a long-simmered tomato sauce often with meatballs and Italian sausage. The bold flavor in this sauce comes from the long cooking time, hence the name “Sunday Sauce ” because it’s often prepared on the weekend so there is enough time to cook it.
This savory, meaty gravy is served over pasta, as a part of an Italian meal fit for the whole family. Every family has their own version of this recipe, making it incredibly versatile, and customizable.
Why We Love this recipe
- The long simmering builds rich robust flavors and tenderizes the meat.
- Authentic Italian flavors with simple ingredients.
- Perfect for large family dinners and entertaining.
- Nothing beats the smell of Sunday sauce simmering on the stove.
- Very versatile, easy to customize.
Sunday Sauce Variations
Meatless Sunday Sauce – Make this recipe without any meat by using some of your favorite vegetables like mushroom, zucchini, peppers, and onions or your preferred meat alternative.
Spicy Sunday Sauce – Add some calabrian chilies to amp up the heat in this recipe and make yourself a spicy sunday pasta.
Extra meaty – Switch out any of the meat in this recipe for your favorite ground or whole meat. It doesn’t have to be just meatballs. The long simmering time will braise even tougher cuts of meat, making them melt in your mouth delicious.
Herbs and Spices – Add any number of herbs and spices to this recipe to add savory flavors and bring this sauce to life.
How to Thicken Sunday Sauce?
Sunday sauce thickens as it simmers. To reduce the sauce further, simmer for longer with the lid off, or partially covered until the sauce thickens to your liking.
What to serve with this sauce?
Sunday sauce is best served over freshly cooked pasta. To make this a complete meal serve your Sunday sauce pasta alongside any fresh bright salad or roasted vegetables.
How to know when pasta is cooked through?
Sunday sauce and perfectly al dente pasta are a match made in heaven. Make sure your pasta is not over cooked by removing a single piece from the boiling water, letting it cool slightly and tasting it to see if it’s cooked enough.
Tips for Making Sunday Sauce
- Use high quality tomatoes for this recipe for maximum flavor. Canned San Marzano tomatoes will make the best tasting sauce.
- Make sure the meat has browned before adding it to the sauce which will increase the texture and flavour.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for several hours. The longer the better, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- This recipe can be easily scaled and made in large batches. Leftovers can be saved in the freezer and thawed as needed.
Leftovers and Reheating
Lucky for you this gravy tastes even better the next day. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature and transfer to a container with an airtight lid. Leftover Sunday sauce will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.
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Sunday Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage, about 4 links
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground veal
- 6 handfuls italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 small can Tomato Paste
- 2 cans of water, use tomato paste can. Or alternatively 1 1/2 cups
- 2-28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 carrot, grated
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the sausage on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, turning halfway through to brown each side evenly. Remove and set aside. It’s ok if the sausage is still raw, it will continue cooking in the sauce.
- Reduce oven temperature to 400F.
- Add the ground beef, pork, veal, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, beaten eggs, water, garlic, and parsley to a large bowl and combine well.
- Form into meatballs with your hands. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet spaced out at least 1 inch. Bake for around 20 minutes until browned but not fully cooked through.
- To start the sauce, heat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and onions. Season with salt and cook until the onions are softened. Add the garlic and cook for around 1 minute.
- Next add the tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low gentle simmer. Cover partially with a lid and simmer the sauce for at least 20 minutes.
- Bring the heat up to medium-high and add the crushed tomatoes, red wine, and grated carrot. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the meatballs and sausage to the pot. Continue simmering partially covered for another 90 minutes stirring as needed to prevent burning.
Nutrition
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