Italian Sunday Sauce with Meatballs, Sausage, and Country Spare Rib
Italian Sunday Sauce with Meatballs, Sausage, and Country Spare Rib
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef, or a mix of beef and pork
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Oil, for browning
For the Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces each
1 can tomato puree, 28 ounces
1 can tomato paste, 6 ounces
1/2 cup water or red wine, optional
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves, optional
Meat for the Sauce
Prepared browned meatballs
1 to 2 pounds Italian sausage, sweet or hot
1 country-style pork spare rib
For Serving
Cooked pasta, stuffed shells, or baked pasta
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
Fresh basil or parsley
Chicken cutlets, optional side
Blanched green beans, optional side
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, garlic, milk, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Mix gently until everything is combined. Do not overmix, or the meatballs may become dense.
Shape the mixture into medium-sized meatballs.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Brown the meatballs in batches, turning them carefully until they are golden on the outside. They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Transfer the browned meatballs to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain.
In the same skillet, brown the Italian sausage on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Brown the country-style spare rib as well, then set it aside with the sausage and meatballs.
In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, water or red wine if using, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Stir well until the sauce is smooth and combined.
Carefully add the browned meatballs, sausage, and country spare rib into the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as the sauce cooks.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, let it simmer uncovered until it reduces.
Remove the spare rib before serving, or shred the tender pork into the sauce if desired.
Serve the sauce and meatballs over pasta, stuffed shells, or alongside chicken cutlets and green beans.
Finish with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano and fresh basil or parsley.
Notes
Browning the meatballs first gives them deeper flavor and helps them hold their shape in the sauce.
The sausage and spare rib add richness to the tomato sauce as it simmers.
The sauce can be made a day ahead. In fact, it often tastes even better the next day.
Keep the heat low once the meat is added so the sauce simmers gently instead of boiling hard.
If making this for a special family dinner, the meatballs and sauce can be prepared ahead, then reheated slowly before serving.
Serving Ideas
Serve this Sunday sauce with stuffed shells, spaghetti, rigatoni, ziti, or baked pasta.
It pairs beautifully with chicken cutlets, blanched green beans, Italian salad, garlic bread, and grated cheese.
For a family-style dinner, place the meatballs, sausage, and sauce in a large serving bowl and let everyone spoon it over their pasta.
Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently. The sauce will continue to deepen in flavor as it rests.