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Sunday Gravy Recipe

Sunday Gravy

Wholesome Cove
This Sunday Gravy simmers sweet Italian sausage, country-style pork ribs, and homemade meatballs into one pot of thick, deep-red tomato sauce for a classic Italian-American Sunday dinner.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 640 kcal

Equipment

  • Large enameled Dutch oven or heavy 7-to-8-quart pot - Wide, heavy vessel for an even simmer
  • Cast iron skillet - For browning the meatballs, sausage, and ribs
  • Sturdy wooden spoon - For stirring and scraping the bottom
  • Kitchen tongs - For turning the sausage and ribs
  • Box grater - For grating the cheese
  • Large mixing bowl - For the meatball mix
  • Big pot - For boiling the pasta
  • Ladle
  • Serving platter

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs

For the meats

  • 1 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage links - 680g
  • 1 1/2 lb country-style pork ribs - 680g

For the gravy

To serve

  • 1 1/2 lb rigatoni - 680g
  • grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan - extra, for serving
  • fresh basil leaves - for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine ground beef and ground pork, breaking them up with your hands. Add breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano, eggs, milk, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix gently just until combined.
  • Scoop and roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches wide. You should get roughly 18 to 20 meatballs.
  • Heat the cast iron skillet over medium-high with a thin film of olive oil. Working in batches, sear the meatballs on two or three sides until browned, about 5 minutes per batch, then set aside.
  • In the same skillet, brown the sausage links on all sides until deeply colored, about 6 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
  • Season the pork ribs with salt and pepper, then brown them in the fat until a crust forms, about 8 minutes total, and move them to the plate.
  • Add olive oil to your Dutch oven over medium heat, then stir in the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Add the tomato paste and stir constantly for a full 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red. Pour in the red wine, scraping up browned bits, and let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
  • Crush the whole San Marzano tomatoes by hand as you add them, then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Add Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, then drop in the Parmesan rind if using.
  • Taste, and only if the tomatoes are sharp, stir in a pinch of sugar to round out the acidity.
  • Nestle the browned sausage and pork ribs into the gravy along with any juices from the plate. Bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat to the barest simmer and partly cover.
  • Cook for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes and scraping the bottom so nothing catches.
  • Gently lower the browned meatballs into the gravy and tuck in the fresh basil leaves. Simmer uncovered for a final 30 minutes, so the meatballs cook through and the gravy thickens.
  • Fish out the Parmesan rind, taste, and adjust the salt.
  • Boil the rigatoni in well-salted water until al dente, following the package timing. Drain, then toss the pasta with a few ladles of the gravy.
  • Plate the pasta with more gravy on top and the meats piled alongside, then finish with grated cheese and basil.

Notes

  • Keep the pot at a whisper, not a boil. A hard boil toughens the sausage and scorches the bottom.
  • Brown everything first. The fond left in the pan after searing is pure flavor, and the wine lifts it into the gravy.
  • Toast the tomato paste for the full 2 minutes until it darkens before adding any liquid.
  • Keep a Parmesan rind in the freezer and drop one in with the tomatoes for a savory backbone.
  • Stir from the bottom every 30 minutes to keep the thick gravy from catching.
  • Salt in stages. The gravy reduces over three hours, so season lightly at the start and correct at the end.
  • Let it rest 20 minutes off the heat before serving so the flavors settle.
  • The gravy improves after a night in the fridge. Store sauce and meats together for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze cooled gravy with the meats for up to 3 months, leaving room at the top of the container.
  • Store cooked pasta separately from the gravy so it does not turn soft.
  • For a slow cooker version, brown everything on the stove first, then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Swap pork ribs for bone-in beef short ribs for a deeper, more savory note.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 640kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 38gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 890mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11g
Keyword Italian meat sauce, italian sunday dinner, meatball recipe, sunday gravy, sunday sauce
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