Sunday Sauce with Braciole, Meatballs, and Sausage
A hearty Italian-American feast featuring a rich tomato sauce with three different meats: tender rolled beef braciole, homemade meatballs, and sweet Italian sausage. This classic Sunday dinner sauce is slowly simmered with herbs and serves a crowd.
Ingredients
- •2 medium onions
- •4 cloves garlic
- •¼ cup olive oil
- •1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- •2 tablespoons tomato paste
- •2 teaspoons dried oregano
- •1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- •2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
- •3 cups basil leaves
- •½ teaspoon black pepper
- •1 cup Parmesan
- •⅔ cup parsley
- •½ cup breadcrumbs
- •3 cloves garlic
- •6 slices beef top round
- •1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- •¾ teaspoon black pepper
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •1 pound ground beef chuck
- •2 large eggs
- •2 tablespoons milk
- •¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- •¼ teaspoon black pepper
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •6 whole sweet Italian sausages
- •1 pound pasta
- •to taste kosher salt
- •to taste Parmesan
- •1 as needed butchers twine
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Purée onions and garlic in a food processor until very finely chopped.
5 min
- 2.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook onion mixture and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring often, until liquid is evaporated and bits on bottom of pot are beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes more. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Add tomatoes and their juices and 1 cup water; stir to combine. Stir in basil, season with pepper and remaining 1 tsp. salt, and bring to a simmer. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.
15 min
- 3.
Combine cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs, and garlic in a medium bowl.
5 min
- 4.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Lay beef flat on a work surface; season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture. Working one at a time and starting at the short end, roll up beef, then tie in a few places with butcher's twine to secure. Season braciole with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
15 min
- 5.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook braciole, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
16 min
- 6.
Transfer braciole to pot with sauce, cover, and bake 1 1/2 hours. Wipe out skillet and reserve.
90 min
- 7.
Mix ground beef, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 1/4 cups breadcrumb mixture with a fork in a medium bowl. Shape into 12 (1 1/2") balls.
10 min
- 8.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet. Working in batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. Working in batches and adding remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet as needed, cook sausages, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.
25 min
- 9.
After braciole has baked 1 1/2 hours, using tongs, gently lower meatballs and sausages into sauce. Cover pot and continue to bake until braciole is very tender and meatballs and sausages are cooked through, 25-30 minutes more.
30 min
- 10.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Transfer sausages, meatballs, and braciole to a platter; remove strings from braciole. Spoon some warm sauce over.
15 min
- 11.
Drain pasta and toss with as little or as much sauce as you like. Serve topped with Parmesan.
5 min
- 12.
Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months. Braciole, meatballs, and sausages can be made 3 days ahead; submerge in sauce, cover, and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
