Italian Sunday Gravy: A Classic Sunday Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ⅔ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

Sunday Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds short ribs
• 2 pounds Italian sausage (spicy or sweet)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 (28-ounce) cans Whole San Marzano Tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix in Italian-style breadcrumbs and ground meats until well combined. Shape the mixture into 1½-2 inch meatballs, then refrigerate them until ready to use.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs on all sides, then transfer them to a plate. Brown the sausage links and meatballs separately. Once cooled, refrigerate the sausage and meatballs until needed.
3. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pot and sauté diced onion and grated carrots for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
4. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add crushed whole tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
6. Return the browned short ribs to the pot, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
7. After the initial cooking time, add the sausages to the pot and continue to cook uncovered for 1 hour. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a splash of water as needed.
8. Finally, add the meatballs to the pot and cook uncovered for another hour, ensuring that most of the meats are submerged in the gravy. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout.
9. Towards the end of the cooking time, skim off any excess fat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve the Sunday Gravy over your favorite pasta shape, garnished with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and crusty bread.

Enjoy this classic Italian Sunday Gravy with friends and family!