Are you craving a hearty and flavorful dish that brings back childhood memories? Look no further than meatballs in Sunday sauce! This classic Italian dish is a comforting and delectable blend of simmering tomatoes, tender meatballs, and a rich, savory sauce that has been passed down through generations. Its nostalgic charm and comforting flavors make it the perfect dish to gather around the dinner table with family and friends. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of creating the most delicious and memorable meatballs in Sunday sauce. From selecting the perfect ingredients to mastering the art of simmering the sauce, we'll provide you with expert tips and tricks to ensure that your meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and bursting with authentic Italian taste.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
ITALIAN MEATBALLS AND SUNDAY SAUCE RECIPE
Flavorful and juicy Italian meatballs with garlic, parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese braised in a simple Sunday sauce.
Provided by James
Categories Main Course
Time 3h30m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Dice 1 onion. In a large bowl hand crush the tomatoes. Alternatively, pulse the tomatoes in a blender for 2-3 seconds.
- Coat the bottom of a large heavy pot with a 1/2 cup of olive oil and saute the onions on medium-low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the tomato paste to the onions and cook for 5 minutes, spreading the paste around with a wooden spoon.
- Add in all the hand crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp of kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Stir the sauce until incorporated and cook on a low simmer with the lid left slightly ajar. Stir the sauce every so often (very important!) to avoid sticking. The sauce should cook on low heat for at least 2.5 to 3 hours but longer will be better.
- Begin by grating 3/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano, mincing a half cup of fresh parsley, and creating garlic paste from 3 garlic cloves.
- Add the beef and ground pork to a large mixing bowl and season with 2 tsp kosher salt and a 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a small bowl beat 2 eggs and set aside.
- To the meat, add the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley and garlic paste. Pour the eggs in and mix everything together. If the mixture is too dry, add one more egg to the mix.
- With wet hands roll approximately 2" size meatballs. The meatballs can be baked on a sheet pan with wire rack at 375f for 25-30 minutes or until brown in the middle of oven.
- Place the browned meatballs in the sauce and cook for a minimum of 1 hour on low heat to allow the meatballs to absorb the flavor of and braise in the sauce.
- When the meatballs are finished, serve with choice of pasta, grated cheese and Italian bread. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 824 kcal, Carbohydrate 97 g, Protein 46.3 g, Fat 27.5 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Cholesterol 132 mg, Sodium 1255 mg, Fiber 14.6 g, Sugar 29.3 g, ServingSize 1 serving
SUNDAY SAUCE WITH BRACIOLE, MEATBALLS, AND SAUSAGE
No crowd to feed? No problem. Sunday Sauce freezes well; just make sure any braciole, meatballs, or sausages are submerged in sauce.
Provided by Dawn Perry
Categories Freezer Food Pasta Beef Tomato Parmesan Meatball Sausage Breadcrumbs Ground Beef Oregano Dinner Potluck
Yield 6-8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 35
Steps:
- Make the sauce:
- Purée onions and garlic in a food processor until very finely chopped.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook onion mixture and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring often, until liquid is evaporated and bits on bottom of pot are beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes more. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Add tomatoes and their juices and 1 cup water; stir to combine. Stir in basil, season with pepper and remaining 1 tsp. salt, and bring to a simmer. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.
- Make the breadcrumb mixture:
- Combine cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs, and garlic in a medium bowl.
- Prepare the braciole:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Lay beef flat on a work surface; season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture. Working one at a time and starting at the short end, roll up beef, then tie in a few places with butcher's twine to secure. Season braciole with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook braciole, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
- Transfer braciole to pot with sauce, cover, and bake 1 1/2 hours. Wipe out skillet and reserve.
- Prepare the meatballs and sausage:
- Mix ground beef, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 1/4 cups breadcrumb mixture with a fork in a medium bowl. Shape into 12 (1 1/2") balls.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet. Working in batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook sausages, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.
- After braciole has baked 1 1/2 hours, using tongs, gently lower meatballs and sausages into sauce. Cover pot and continue to bake until braciole is very tender and meatballs and sausages are cooked through, 25-30 minutes more.
- To serve:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Transfer sausages, meatballs, and braciole to a platter; remove strings from braciole. Spoon some warm sauce over.
- Drain pasta and toss with as little or as much sauce as you like. Serve topped with Parmesan.
- Do Ahead
- Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months. Braciole, meatballs, and sausages can be made 3 days ahead; submerge in sauce, cover, and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
MEATBALLS IN SUNDAY SAUCE
Provided by Dominick Tesoriero
Categories main-dish
Time 1h20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- For the meatballs: In a bowl, combine the beef, pork, veal, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley. In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Whip with a whisk until fluffy.
- Fold the ricotta mixture into the meat mixture. Form the mixture into golf-size balls. Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a frying pan and slowly bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Fry the meatballs until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the lined plate.
- For the sauce: Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is lightly brown, 30 seconds.
- Deglaze with the marsala, then add the stock and cook, stirring, until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and cook, 30 minutes. Add the basil.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne. Cook to al dente, about 13 minutes.
- Add the strained penne to a large saute pan and ladle in some of the sauce, then cook over high heat just long enough to coat the pasta and simmer the sauce. Lower the heat and add the grated Parmesan. Toss in the pan to coat well. Serve with immediately with meatballs.
ITALIAN SUNDAY SAUCE
Start this sauce on Sunday morning and fill your kitchen with amazing aromas that will have your family asking when dinner's going to be ready! It's full of rich, sweet tomato flavor, subtle herbs, and savory, tender meat that's cooked right in the sauce. Ladle it over your favorite pasta and serve with buttery garlic bread.
Provided by NicoleMcmom
Categories Tomato Pasta Sauce
Time 5h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Sprinkle neck bones on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place neck bones in the pot and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate.
- Add sausage links to the drippings and brown for 3 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil as needed. Set aside with the pork.
- Add onion to the drippings and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato puree and crushed tomatoes, than add water and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add bay leaf. Rub basil and oregano between your fingers to release the aroma and add to the sauce.
- Slice sausages into large chunks and return to the pot with the neck bones; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours.
- Remove neck bones and bay leaf. Remove any meat remaining on the bones, shred, and return to the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 569.4 calories, Carbohydrate 28.5 g, Cholesterol 144.6 mg, Fat 32.3 g, Fiber 5.5 g, Protein 42.8 g, SaturatedFat 10.8 g, Sodium 2035 mg
SUNDAY SAUCE
In many Italian American households, Sunday means there's red sauce simmering all day on the stove. It might be called sauce, sugo or gravy, and surely every family makes it differently, but the result is always a tomato sauce rich with meat. This recipe (which you can also make in a slow cooker) follows a classic route of using shreddy pork shoulder, Italian sausage and meatballs. Once the sauce is done, coat pasta in the sauce, spoon some meat on top and share it with the whole family alongside a green salad, crusty bread and red wine. The sauce can keep refrigerated for up to one week and frozen for up to three months.
Provided by Ali Slagle
Categories dinner, pastas, main course
Time 3h30m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Season the pork shoulder all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high. Working in batches if necessary, cook the pork until browned on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes total, adding more oil if the pan looks dry. Transfer pieces to a bowl as they finish. Add the sausages to the pot and cook until browned, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to the bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, if needed, and the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the red wine, stir, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and basil, then fill one of the 28-ounce cans with water. (You'll use it in a second.) Return the pork shoulder and sausages to the pot, along with any accumulated juices in the bowl. Nudge them around so they are submerged. Add the meatballs on top, then add enough water from the can to cover the meat. (There's no need to stir.) Partly cover the pot, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork shoulder falls apart when shredded with a fork, 2 to 2½ hours.
- When you're ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, slice the sausage and shred the pork shoulder. Transfer to a platter along with the meatballs and a few spoonfuls of sauce. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and add the pasta to the pot of sauce. Over medium heat, toss the pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to the pasta.
- Divide pasta between bowls, then top with a bit of each meat. Pass the Parmesan and platter of meat at the table.
SUNDAY GRAVY (REAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE)AND MEATBALLS
Sauce the way mamas in ital make it--meatballs that melt in your mouth. If I was on death row this is what I would want! God's honest truth! PLEASE PLEASE use it for Recipe #73939--it's amazing.
Provided by Bri22
Categories Sauces
Time 3h10m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- SAUCE: Heat oil in large heavy pot (use a seasoned pot if you have one). Place the pork in the pot and brown until just about cooked. Transfer pork to plate. Do the same with the sausage and transfer to plate. Leave fat in pot. Add whole peeled garlic cloves cook until tender. Put garlic on plate with meat and stir in tomato paste until "saucy". Chop up tomatoes leaving the tomato juice in the cans (I use my chopper) and add them to the pot.
- Then add 1/2 of one can of the juice to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the meats and garlic to the sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Leave the sauce on low and remove all the meat and garlic cloves.
- Mix all ingredients for meatballs and shape into balls. Add to sauce turn up just a little higher than low and let cook the raw meatballs until they are done (1/2 hour) THATS IT!
- Now this is an old recipe, but I have seen it in the sopranos cookbook and this is a bit different.
- I used this sauce to make the ziti al forno from the sopranos cookbook (Recipe #73939) and it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten, so I posted that too.
SUNDAY SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS, SAUSAGES, AND PORK CHOPS
This is my most requested recipe. By the by, if your grocer doesn't stock pancetta (an Italian-style cured bacon), you can substitute a fatty prosciutto or ordinary bacon in a pinch, but it won't be as subtle a dish. I usually never use pancetta and it is still delicious...who has 20 days to cure homemade pancetta!?!? From Fresco Trattoria.
Provided by SmHerndon
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 2h15m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the sausage and pork chops until brown, about 10 minutes - Don't worry if the meat is not cooked through because the meat will cook through in the sauce.
- Remove the meat from pan and set aside; Deglaze the pan with 1 cup red wine.
- In the same pot, add the garlic, onions, pancetta, and crushed pepper and cook until the onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining cup of red wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour over low heat. Add the basil, sausage, pork chops, and meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for an additional hour over low heat.
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss it with the Sunday Sauce, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1423.5, Fat 83.9, SaturatedFat 24, Cholesterol 269.6, Sodium 1543.5, Carbohydrate 82.2, Fiber 9.6, Sugar 16.7, Protein 71
GRANDMA'S SUNDAY SAUCE
Sunday sauce with ribs and sausages or meatballs.
Provided by KelseyS
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 2h45m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot and cook pork ribs until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook sausages until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the same plate as the ribs.
- Drain off some of the excess fat. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in remaining olive oil. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; make sure not to burn. Pour in 1/2 of the red wine and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir until paste starts to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining red wine and water.
- Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing by hand as you add them to the pot. Season with basil, remaining salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer. Taste and add sugar if sauce is too acidic.
- Return ribs to the pot. Simmer, partially covered, adding more liquid if needed, for at least 2 hours. Add sausages back to the pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Add fresh basil during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Discard bones before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 375.6 calories, Carbohydrate 13.8 g, Cholesterol 56.7 mg, Fat 27.5 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 18.3 g, SaturatedFat 8.2 g, Sodium 1313.3 mg, Sugar 6.6 g
Tips:
- Use a combination of ground meats. This will give your meatballs a more complex flavor and texture. Ground beef is a good choice because it is affordable and has a strong flavor. Ground pork is also a good choice because it is fatty and juicy. You can also use ground veal or lamb, but these meats are more expensive.
- Soak the bread crumbs in milk before adding them to the meat mixture. This will help to bind the meatballs together and make them more moist.
- Season the meatball mixture well. Use a variety of herbs and spices, such as garlic, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. You can also add grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano cheese to the mixture.
- Brown the meatballs in a pan before adding them to the sauce. This will help to keep them from falling apart and will also add flavor.
- Use a good quality tomato sauce. A homemade sauce is always best, but you can also use a store-bought sauce if you are short on time. Just be sure to choose a sauce that is thick and flavorful.
- Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld and will also help to tenderize the meatballs.
Conclusion:
Meatballs in Sunday sauce is a classic Italian dish that is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. By following these tips, you can make the best meatballs in Sunday sauce that your family and friends will love.
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