B's Sunday Sauce

B
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage there are about 4 sausage links per pound
  • 1 pound Spicy Italian Sausage
  • 4 Braciole ( I buy these from my butcher they're thinly pounded top round steaks that are stuffed. They are stuffed differently at different butchers can be cheese and breadcrumbs sometimes prosicuitto etc.
  • FOR THE MEATBALLS:
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 6 handfuls Italian seasoned bread crumbs figure about 2 handfuls for each pound of meat I use 4C's. My husband and I met the owner of 4C'S bread crumbs this summer at Baha Mar and I may have jumped up and down and hugged him. Any Italian bread crumbs will work but I grew up on 4C's and to me they're superior.
  • Grated Pecorino Romano parmesan cheese 1 handful per each pound of meat Locatelli is great too. Matter of preference but I do recommend if possible it's fresh grated from a salumeria/deli.
  • 3 eggs lightly beaten
  • Add some water...think three eggs worth
  • Fresh chopped garlic. I do not ever use pre minced garlic. Ever. You can buy it peeled but it's gotta be fresh I don't make the rules my mom did. We love garlic. If you arent a garlic lover 1.5 teaspoons, if you love measure with your heart lol
  • ¾ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • FOR THE 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.
  • 2-28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes I like San Marzano tomatoes
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 1 carrot grated (for sweetness --y ou can just sprinkle some sugar I usually just do that lol)
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Instructions
  • Cook the Sausage: Brown them in pan with a little EVOO. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Make the Meatballs:
  • Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. I use my hands but you can mix on lowest setting until ingredients are just combined. In my opinion it's easy to overmix and your meatballs can end up being tough. Get in there with your hands.
  • EVOO in a pan and brown the meatballs. They will finish cooking in the sauce
  • AND this is important--- After you brown the braciole & the sausage and fry the meatballs all that oil & the bits from the pan go in the sauce.
  • MAKE THE SAUCE:
  • Heat Olive Oil in a large pot. Add onions, a little salt, and cook until softened.
  • Add garlic and cook another minute.
  • Add the Tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover partially and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Increase heat to medium high. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, grated carrot (or a sprinkle of sugar), and season with some more salt and pepper. Bring to a slight boil, reduce heat back to low.
  • Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add in the meatballs and sausage and cook for an additional 90 minutes(still partially covered), stirring occasionally to ensure the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom. Again the longer the sauce simmers, the closer to god lol.
  • Pasta:
  • Rigatoni, Penne or Spaghetti. I mean really whatever pasta you prefer but those are the three I typically use.

Notes

I use San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes. My mom did so I do too. Any crushed tomatoes would work.
I do not use exact measurements (writing this up is hard because my mom never had a "recipe" you eyeball it and go lol)  It is important to properly season the sauce. If you used jarred, sauce is SO easy to make, do not be intimidated ( I too sometimes buy a jar of Rao's and call it a day but bc its less messy not because it's easier lol).
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours (I like to start the sauce in the morning and if someone is home I simmer it all day. If no one is home I let it sit while I'm out and as soon as we get in let it simmer. I say this to say it will cook in 2 hours but an all day simmered sauce is the thing dreams are made of.) 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Amanda

Amanda is a co-founder of Bravo and Cocktails and co-hosts the Cocktails and Gossip podcast with B, the Prosecco Princess. With a long career in marketing and advertising — and an even longer one as a reality TV fan — Amanda has been hooked since the genre began with The Real World. She grew up devouring blogs like The Awful Truth on E! and Perez Hilton, and treating herself to People and Us Weekly at the checkout line. These days, you can find her cheering on her kids from the sidelines, traveling, checking out new restaurants, and of course, watching TV with her husband. Amanda is also the person behind the scenes at Cocktail Party — if you have questions about the site or your membership, feel free to send her a note at amanda@bravoandcocktails.com.