Grandma’s Sunday Sauce

My grandmother was born in Puglia, Italy and this was her family’s recipe for “Sunday Sauce” which is an all day cook meat sauce. Her recipe has numerous components - all adding to the delicious flavor - but one of the secrets to my grandmother’s Sunday Sauce was to add all the bones from meals enjoyed throughout the week, giving the sauce a depth of flavor that is both distinct and hearty. Making this recipe instantly brings back memories of overflowing pasta dishes, lots of sauce, and of course, my grandmother. You can make this in a dutch oven or a slow cooker. We find this sauce tastiest when made the day before serving, giving the flavors time to deepen overnight.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage links with casing removed

• 1 pound organic ground meat

• 1 6 ounce bone in pork chop cut length wise and with bone

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix

• 6 cloves garlic smashed and chopped

• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, preferably not oil-packed

• Three 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 4 bay leafs

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a Dutch Oven cook the ground beef just until it is no longer pink making sure you break it up into little pieces. Remove the meat and set aside and drain the pain.

2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and sauté the sausage and the pork until just cooked. Remove and set aside. Do not remove the oil.

3. Cook the onions in the oil from the sausage and cook until translucent. Add salt and pepper and cook the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, the herbs and bay leaves and cook for three minutes.

4. If you are using the Dutch Oven to finish the sauce you can add the three cans of tomatoes and all the meat. Cover and cook over a low heat for four hours - the sauce should barely break a bubble. You want it to cook but not to burn.

5. If you are cooking in a slow cooker add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and place on slow cook for ten hours.

6. Allow to thoroughly cool before refrigerating. This is a lot of sauce and you could freeze half.

7. To serve, heat gently in a saucepan until hot. Serve with either Bucatini, large shells or large ziti. You can also use this sauce as a basis for a lasagna.

8. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.