An old-world kind of meat sauce for pasta, but it’s different than anything I’ve ever made before, filled with ground meats as well as ribs and little beef rolls too. And meatballs; how could I forget the delicious little mounds you see above!
Visiting the library recently, I decided to go down the cookbook aisle and see what new ones they had on the shelves. Nothing very new, but I glanced at one Italian cookbook and decided to check it out. It was written by Eleanora Russo Scarpetta. Now, I didn’t know who she was until I started reading. She’s been a “regular” visitor on Martha Stewart’s show for several years, and after several successful visits, because lots of people asked, she decided to write a cookbook, Eleanora’s Kitchen: 125 Fabulous Authentic Italian-American Recipes
Many of her recipes are her mother’s (this recipe included). Scarpetta is a housewife, not a TV star or a food network diva. She has children she cares for, meals to fix, grocery shopping to do, etc. She’s adapted many of her family’s recipes to our American tastes, and she definitely cooks the Italian-American style. I read all the stories and every recipe in the book. And this recipe is the only one I copied out to try. It was just unusual enough that I wanted to make it.
It does have a regular meat sauce, and it has very flavorful meatballs; but the unique thing (to me, anyway) was the addition of ribs (like baby backs or country ribs, either one) and a few small stuffed rolls of beef. In Italian the latter are called braciole (that’s a link to my own recipe for braciole).
Scarpetta explained in the write-up about this recipe that in the old-world (Italian) family, it was called “Sunday Sauce” because it was something made on Sundays, after going to Catholic mass, and they sat down to a big meal at midday, the big meal of the day. The sauce (with pasta) became the entire meal, as well it should since it contains several pounds of different meat. The Italian mama or grandmama made pasta, a salad, and served bread alongside. That was dinner, and any leftovers went into a different dish later in the week. Scarpetta also explained that in her family home first you ate a small plate of pasta with just the meat sauce on it. Then you ate the second course of the meats, meatballs, along with a salad, bread and fruit for dessert. The meat variety intrigued me, as well as the two courses. We didn’t eat it that way.
We were in northern California a week or so ago (celebrating our oldest grandson’s 18th birthday) and I suggested we try making this dish for the family. There’s a photo of our 14-year old granddaughter Taylor making the meatballs. A big job! My daughter Dana and I made the rest of the sauce.
The sauce simmers for an hour or so. The meats are browned on all sides and added to the sauce and cooked just long enough to get them cooked through. The meatballs can be browned separately then cooked in the sauce, but we decided to bake them (an alternative) in the oven for 40 minutes, turning them once halfway through. Then they were added to the sauce and cooked for awhile.
I must make a confession here – we made the braciole according to the Sunday Sauce recipe, but we cooked it altogether too long. We made this meat sauce the day before we ate it, and we reheated it the next day and let it simmer slowly for an hour or so. That was in addition to the hour or so it had cooked the day before. Too long! So, the beef braciole were dry, chewy and mostly tasteless. A lesson learned.
Also, I must tell you that the recipe called for 2 pieces of beef cutlets. It’s been a looooong time since I read a recipe with beef cutlets, let alone seen any in the market. I didn’t even remember what they were, although my head said it was round steak. Searching on the internet I learned that lots of people think beef cutlets are cube steaks (cube steaks are round steaks that have been put through a tenderizing machine by the butcher). Well, I just thought we’d use the round steaks. I sliced it in 3 thinner steaks to stuff and roll. I pounded the heck out of them to tenderize them myself. If you decide to do that part of this recipe, take heed and don’t overcook 
the braciole. They need 1 1/4 hours total and they’re done!
When we reheated the sauce (everything was in the one pot at this point) the pork country ribs all fell apart, so they were distributed throughout the sauce. Not what was intended I’m sure! I removed the pancetta also because it was a funny, long fatty piece by that time. We actually didn’t eat the beef braciole in with the sauce – we left it out – it had flavored the dish and would be used for something else. We also added more salt (depends on how salty the canned tomatoes or puree are as to how much is needed) AND we added some Italian seasonings. Dana and I found it odd that this sauce contained no herbs except the 3 leaves of fresh basil. That was IT. And we thought the sauce was bland. So we added some dried herbs during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Use your own combination if you’d prefer. And perhaps it was sacrilegious to do so, but it’s what we liked. It’s included in the recipe, but noted as my additions.
What I liked: first and foremost, the meatballs. I loved the flavor of them. Also the texture (with the addition of the minced up bread in it). Note that there are no herbs in the meatballs, just parsley, grated Pecorino and garlic. We also ended up putting Italian sausage in the meatballs – it was supposed to go in the sauce, but I misread the recipe and it got put into the meatballs instead. So if you make the meatballs, you might want to add some Italian sausage to it – it did have some herbs in it, obviously. I did like the sauce – probably because of the flavorings provided by the beef and the country ribs.
What I didn’t like: hmmm. Probably I should tell you that this sauce is a lot of work. I had helpers in the kitchen so that really made it easier. Would I make it again? Only if I had help. I’d definitely make the meatballs again, though (with Italian sausage added into it). Also, once I input this recipe into my recipe software, it shows about 1000 calories per serving (including the pasta). I find that hard to believe. Obviously the amount serves more than 12. Scarpetta’s recipe indicated it served 8-10. We served 7 and had at least half of it left over.
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Sunday Sauce alla Russo
Recipe By: Adapted slightly from Eleanora’s Kitchen, by Eleanora Russo Scarpetta
Serving Size: 12 (probably more)
NOTES: We ended up adding the Italian sausage to the meatballs – it never made it into the meat sauce. So IF you decide to just make meatballs, do add some Italian sausage to it (not shown in the recipe that way). Also, be sure you don’t cook the bracioe more than 1 1/4 hours or they will become dry and tasteless. And, to be efficient, you’re going to need 10 garlic cloves: 5 pressed through a garlic press, 2 finely chopped, and 3 mostly whole (cracked).
Serving Ideas: In the traditional fashion the sauce would be served as a first course over pasta, then the meats, braciole, ribs and meatballs would be served as a second course with salad, bread, wine and fruit for dessert. You can use any kind of pasta. Leftovers can be made into lasagna, stuffed shells, manicotti, ravioli or baked ziti.
SAUCE:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion — halved
1/4 pound pancetta — or Canadian bacon
5 cloves garlic — put through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon salt
96 ounces canned plum tomatoes — with juice, pureed in blender for 3-5 seconds only (3 large cans)
32 ounces tomato puree — canned
6 large fresh basil leaves
3/4 pound Italian sausage — sweet (not hot)
1 tablespoon dried oregano — [added during last 15 minutes] my addition
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning — [added during last 15 minutes] my addition
THE MEAT:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves — cracked (peeled and lightly smashed)
3/4 pound spareribs — or country ribs with bones
1/2 cup dry white wine
BEEF BRACIOLE:
18 ounces cube steaks — or thin round steaks, cut into 2 pieces
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 whole garlic clove — finely minced
2 teaspoons Italian parsley — minced
2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese — freshly grated
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
MEATBALLS:
3 large eggs — lightly beaten
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese — grated
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground veal — or use more ground pork
2 whole garlic cloves — finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 slice white bread — (or Italian bread)
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup light olive oil — (i.e. not extra virgin)
PASTA:
1 1/2 pounds pasta — (your choice – we used linguine)
1. SAUCE: In a large heavy-duty pan warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add onion halves, pancetta (all in one piece), pressed garlic and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the tomato puree, fresh basil and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the onion halves.
2. BRACIOLE: Place the cube steaks on a work surface (plastic cutting board). Pound the steak with a meat pounder for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle each steak with a teaspoon of olive oil, garlic, parsley and Pecorino cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Working with one steak at a time, roll tightly into a log shape and tie with kitchen twine.
3. MEATS: Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large (wide) cast-iron skillet, if possible, over medium heat. Add the cracked garlic and cook for 2 minutes (do not burn). Add the braciole, sausage and ribs to the skillet and cook, uncovered, until the meats are golden brown all over, about 8-10 minutes, turning as needed. Add the white wine and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the browned meats from the pan and add them to the sauce, along with the meatballs (directions below).
4. Add 2 cups water to the sauce and return to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 1 1/4 hours (DO NOT COOK ANY LONGER). During last 15 minutes, add the oregano and Italian seasoning (crush it between your palms to open up the oils).
5. PASTA: Just before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente (still a little bite to the pasta). Drain, then transfer to a large (HOT) serving platter. Serve the pasta with meat sauce, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese and serve immediately.
6. MEATBALLS: In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs, then add cheese, parsley and black pepper. Add the beef, pork, veal, garlic, oil and salt. Mix to combine.
7. Hold the bread under running water for about 1-2 seconds only, then squeeze out all the water. Tear the bread (it’s a kind of mush at this point) into very small pieces and add to meatball mixture along with the bread crumbs. Mix well.
8. With damp hands, working with 1/4 cup of meat at a time, form into meatballs and set on a baking sheet (rimmed). Do not allow meatballs to touch one another.
9. Preheat oven to 350°.
10. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes; turn them over and bake another 20 minutes. Drain and add them to the sauce mixture above.
Per Serving (probably serves more than 12, which is why the calorie count is so high): 1057 Calories; 62g Fat (53.4% calories from fat); 54g Protein; 68g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 207mg Cholesterol; 1560mg Sodium.
Melynda@Moms Sunday Cafe
said on February 25th, 2012:
This looks wonderful, I love a zesty flavorful sauce.
Well, yes, it’s zesty (not spicy hot) and flavorful. And a lot of work! But the meatballs were so delish; I know I’ll make those again. . . carolyn t
Luci
said on February 27th, 2012:
The original recipe is really authentic…it’s just like my mom, grandmoms, and aunts made it every Sunday! The only differences:
* In Chicago it’s called Sunday “gravy” (a debate that rages on to this day ^_^) .
* We used flank steak instead of cube steak or round steak.
* Reflecting my dad’s Sicilian heritage, there was always a pinch or two of crushed red pepper in the gravy and in the bracioles.
How interesting! Yes, I think in the recipe it also called this a gravy. Maybe I’ll try flank next time, if I make it again. I like the idea of the red pepper flakes – I’ll try that too. Thanks for the comment. . . carolyn t