Sauce Sicilian Sunday

Long-simmered tomato sauce with seared pork, Italian sausage, and meatballs—family-style with pasta, ricotta, and cheese on the side.

Sauce: Pork + sausage + meatballs Time: ~3 hr simmer Vessel: Dutch oven Serve: Pasta + ricotta
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Overview

What You're Making

A low-and-slow Sicilian-style Sunday gravy: brown pork first, build a tomato base, then load in sausage and meatballs and let everything collapse into a rich sauce while you barely tend the pot.

  • Sear pork in a hot Dutch oven, then set aside
  • Sweat aromatics, toast tomato paste, add tomatoes + water
  • Simmer meats covered (lid ajar) ~3 hours, stirring occasionally
  • Plate meats separately; toss pasta in a little sauce; pass ricotta + cheese
Stir every ~20 minutes so the bottom doesn't scorch—especially on the lowest burner you can manage.

Step 1

Sear the Pork

  • Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Add olive oil.
  • Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Sear until deeply browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Color = flavor. Don't rush the sear; you're building fond for the whole sauce.

Measurements

Olive oil2 tbsp Pork2–3 lbs

Step 2

Onions

  • Lower heat to medium.
  • Add diced onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Measurements

Onion1 small, diced

Step 3

Garlic, Chili, Tomato Paste

  • Add garlic and chili flakes; cook 2 minutes more.
  • Stir in tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly.

Measurements

Garlic5 cloves Chili flakesa pinch Tomato paste3 tbsp

Step 4

Tomatoes + Liquid

  • Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fill one empty tomato can ½–¾ with water, add to the pot, and stir.
  • If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them with a wooden spoon—or use an immersion blender for a smoother sauce.
  • Optional: add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil.

Measurements

Canned tomatoesAlternatives: Crushed tomatoes2 × 28 oz Bay leaves2 Parsleya handful Sugara pinch (optional)

Step 5

Long Simmer

  • Add the seared pork, sausage, and meatballs.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Cover with the lid slightly ajar.
  • Simmer on the lowest heat you can hold, stirring about every 20 minutes, for ~3 hours until pork is falling-apart tender.
  • Turn off heat and let meats rest in the sauce until you're ready to eat.
Low and lazy wins. The goal is gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil—otherwise the bottom can catch.

Measurements

SausageAlternatives: Sweet or hot links1½ lbs Meatballs1 bag

Step 6

Finish + Serve

  • Taste and adjust salt.
  • Remove bay leaves and any bones from the pork.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer meats to a large platter.
  • Toss al dente pasta with a little sauce.
  • Pour remaining sauce into gravy boats or a serving bowl.
  • Serve pasta with the platter of meats and sauce on the side, plus bowls of grated cheese and ricotta for the table.

Use pork chops, ribs, neck bones, or a mix—whatever gives you enough bone and collagen for a rich Sunday sauce.

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2–3 lbs pork (loin, chops, ribs, and/or neck bones)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 small yellow or sweet onion, finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
  • Pinch red chili flakes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • Two 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Fresh parsley (handful, chopped)
  • Pinch sugar (optional)
  • 1½ lbs Italian sausage (hot, sweet, or a mix)
  • 1 bag premade meatballs (frozen is fine)
  • Pasta (shape you like—cook al dente)
  • Ricotta (for passing at the table)
  • Grated Parmesan or Pecorino (for passing at the table)
Texture: Break whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon for a chunkier sauce, or buzz briefly with an immersion blender if you want it smoother before the long simmer.

Overview

What You're Making

A low-and-slow Sicilian-style Sunday gravy: brown pork first, build a tomato base, then load in sausage and meatballs and let everything collapse into a rich sauce while you barely tend the pot.

  • Sear pork in a hot Dutch oven, then set aside
  • Sweat aromatics, toast tomato paste, add tomatoes + water
  • Simmer meats covered (lid ajar) ~3 hours, stirring occasionally
  • Plate meats separately; toss pasta in a little sauce; pass ricotta + cheese
Stir every ~20 minutes so the bottom doesn't scorch—especially on the lowest burner you can manage.

Step 1

Sear the Pork

  • Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Add olive oil.
  • Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Sear until deeply browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Color = flavor. Don't rush the sear; you're building fond for the whole sauce.

Measurements

Olive oil2 tbsp Pork2–3 lbs

Step 2

Onions

  • Lower heat to medium.
  • Add diced onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Measurements

Onion1 small, diced

Step 3

Garlic, Chili, Tomato Paste

  • Add garlic and chili flakes; cook 2 minutes more.
  • Stir in tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly.

Measurements

Garlic5 cloves Chili flakesa pinch Tomato paste3 tbsp

Step 4

Tomatoes + Liquid

  • Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fill one empty tomato can ½–¾ with water, add to the pot, and stir.
  • If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them with a wooden spoon—or use an immersion blender for a smoother sauce.
  • Optional: add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil.

Measurements

Canned tomatoesAlternatives: Crushed tomatoes2 × 28 oz Bay leaves2 Parsleya handful Sugara pinch (optional)

Step 5

Long Simmer

  • Add the seared pork, sausage, and meatballs.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Cover with the lid slightly ajar.
  • Simmer on the lowest heat you can hold, stirring about every 20 minutes, for ~3 hours until pork is falling-apart tender.
  • Turn off heat and let meats rest in the sauce until you're ready to eat.
Low and lazy wins. The goal is gentle bubbles, not a rolling boil—otherwise the bottom can catch.

Measurements

SausageAlternatives: Sweet or hot links1½ lbs Meatballs1 bag

Step 6

Finish + Serve

  • Taste and adjust salt.
  • Remove bay leaves and any bones from the pork.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer meats to a large platter.
  • Toss al dente pasta with a little sauce.
  • Pour remaining sauce into gravy boats or a serving bowl.
  • Serve pasta with the platter of meats and sauce on the side, plus bowls of grated cheese and ricotta for the table.

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