Spaghetti with Sunday Gravy | Slowly simmered Sunday gravy made the Italian way!

 
Spaghetti sauce or gravy? Growing up, gravy in our house was the brown stuff you ladle over mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, not the tomato sauce infused with garlic and basil and served with meatballs. I typically make a quick version, browning onions, garlic and Italian sausage, then adding tomatoes, seasonings and a good slosh of red wine. But when I want to have the whole house filled with the aroma of the garlicky goodness of a more traditional Italian gravy, I break out Vita Greco’s recipe.| Slowly simmered Sunday gravy made the Italian way!


Some of my east coast foodie friends shared this delicious recipe with me: pork ribs, Italian sausage and meatballs are sautéed in a wee bit of olive oil, then added to a tomato concoction flavored with flat leaf parsley, basil and garlic. Simmered for 3 hours, you’ll be ready to dive in by dinner time. Make sure to serve with some crusty bread to sop up every drop of this marvelous sauce.


Spaghetti with Sunday Gravy

Recipe adapted from Vita Greco


Olive oil
4 country style pork ribs
1 pound Italian sausage links


For meatballs:
1 pound meatball mix (equal parts ground beef, ground pork and  ground veal) or ground beef
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper


For gravy:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
A few pinches of Romano
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can water


In a Dutch oven, brown Italian sausage and pork ribs in a bit of olive oil. Pierce the sausage casings while first side is browning. Remove and set aside.


Make meatballs by mixing all ingredients. Scoop out tablespoons of mixture and form into balls. Brown in oil left in Dutch oven, adding more if needed. Remove when browned but not cooked through.


Add garlic to Dutch oven and sauté till fragrant, but not browned. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the gravy ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add meats. Simmer for about 3 hours with the lid of pot slightly askew. Stir frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching.

Serve over spaghetti.



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Katherine Martinelli~
Food on Friday~

A bowl of Meatballs and Spaghetti

Photo circa 2011