Italian Sunday Sauce – Rich, Slow-Simmered Family Pasta Sauce
Few recipes capture the heart of Italian home cooking quite like Italian Sunday Sauce. This rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce is filled with tender pork, juicy Italian sausage, flavorful meatballs, and aromatic herbs that slowly cook together for hours to create an unforgettable family meal. Every spoonful is packed with deep tomato flavor and savory meat, making it the perfect sauce for serving over your favorite pasta on weekends, holidays, or any special occasion.
What makes Italian Sunday Sauce so special is the time it spends gently simmering on the stove. As the tomatoes slowly cook with the browned meats, onions, garlic, and herbs, the flavors blend into a thick, hearty sauce that tastes far richer than a quick pasta sauce. The pork becomes incredibly tender, the sausage absorbs the tomato flavor, and the meatballs remain juicy, creating a comforting dish that’s worth every minute of cooking.
Whether you’re making a traditional Sunday family dinner or preparing a large batch for meal prep, this homemade Italian Sunday Sauce is always a fantastic choice. It makes enough to feed a crowd and tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop. Pair it with spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, or your favorite pasta, then finish the meal with garlic bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a truly satisfying Italian feast.
Ingredients:
2 pounds pork neck bones.
2 teaspoons kosher salt.
1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1¼ pounds Italian sausage links.
1½ cups finely chopped white onion.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
2 (12-ounce) cans tomato paste.
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree.
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes.
7 cups water.
1 tablespoon white sugar.
1 bay leaf.
1 tablespoon dried basil.
½ teaspoon dried oregano.
12 large cooked meatballs.
Instructions:
Step 1
Season the pork neck bones with the kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Step 3
Brown the pork neck bones on all sides, then remove them from the pot.
Step 4
Brown the Italian sausage on both sides and remove it from the pot.
Step 5
Cook the chopped onion until soft, then stir in the minced garlic.
Step 6
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Step 7
Pour in the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, water, and sugar, then stir until smooth.
Step 8
Add the bay leaf, dried basil, and dried oregano to the sauce.
Step 9
Slice the browned sausage into large pieces.
