Chef John’s Sunday Pasta Sauce

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Description

This sauce goes by many names, including Sunday sauce, since that’s the day it’s traditionally made, but for me growing up, this was just called ‘sauce.’ As long as you cook the meat long enough, and season thoughtfully, there’s really no way this sauce isn’t going to be great. So, while you may not have grown up in an Italian-American home, with this comforting sauce simmering on the stove every Sunday, your family still can. Serve the sauce over pasta and top with the tender meat.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 (1 inch thick) slice beef shank
  • 2 pounds pork spareribs
  • 2 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed Italian (plum) tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
  • 2 cups water, divided
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place beef
  3. pork
  4. and chicken in pan and turn to coat with olive oil.
  5. Roast in the preheated oven until meat is well browned
  6. 20 to 30 minutes.
  7. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and translucent
  8. about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant
  9. about 1 minute.
  10. Pour crushed tomatoes
  11. 1 1/2 cups water
  12. and tomato paste into onion mixture. Add roasted beef
  13. pork
  14. and chicken to tomato sauce mixture.
  15. Pour remaining 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan
  16. and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour roasting pan water mixture into tomato mixture. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  17. Italian parsley
  18. 2 teaspoons salt
  19. ground black pepper
  20. and red pepper flakes into tomato sauce; bring to a simmer
  21. reduce heat to low
  22. and simmer gently until sauce reduces and meat is tender
  23. about 4 hours. Transfer meat to a dish. Adjust sauce seasonings to taste.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 4 hrs 20 mins

Total Time: 4 hrs 50 mins

Servings: 10

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