Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce Recipe

This Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce Recipe is truly a labor of love, but trust me, every single minute of simmering is worth it! Often called “gravy” in Italian-American homes, this isn’t just a simple weeknight pasta topper—it’s a rich, slow-cooked masterpiece loaded with flavor and three different kinds of tender meat. It transforms your kitchen into the coziest place on earth, filling the air with the deep, savory aroma of Italian comfort. Ready to slow down and savor the real taste of Sunday? This one’s a game-changer!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A True Feast for the Soul: This isn’t just sauce; it’s a hearty, celebratory meal that brings everyone to the table. It tastes like tradition and comfort!
• Deep, Unrivaled Flavor: Simmering for hours allows the beef, turkey, and tomatoes to meld into a richness you can’t achieve any other way. It’s savory, luscious, and utterly satisfying.
• The Perfect Meal Prep: While it takes time to cook, the leftovers are even better the next day, making it the ultimate weekend cook for weekday dinners.

Ingredients

All you need for this incredible Sunday Sauce is a little patience (mostly for the simmer!) and a few key, high-quality ingredients. But first, gather up these essentials:

• Olive Oil: The starting point! A little bit of good quality oil adds richness and gets our aromatics off to the perfect, fragrant start.
• Large Onion: Finely chopped, this cooks down to create the sweet, foundational savory base of the entire sauce. Don’t rush this step!
• Garlic: The superstar of Italian cooking! Mince it fresh—it brings that punchy, signature aroma and flavor.
• Beef Meatballs: Whether homemade or store-bought, these add a wonderful texture and fat that enriches the sauce as they simmer. Just be sure they’re pork-free, as specified!
• Beef Stew Meat: Cut into chunks, this tough cut becomes fall-apart tender and adds incredible depth and beefy flavor over the long cook time.
• Turkey Sausages: Sliced and browned, they contribute a juicy, distinct savoriness to the blend, keeping the sauce full of flavor while remaining pork-free.
• Crushed Tomatoes: The bulk and body of the sauce! Crushed tomatoes give you that perfectly chunky yet smooth consistency we’re looking for.
• Tomato Sauce: This adds a bit of liquid and smooths out the texture, preventing the sauce from becoming too thick as it simmers.
• Tomato Paste: A small but mighty ingredient! It adds a deep, concentrated tomato flavor and beautiful color.
• Sugar: A tiny pinch is added to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, making the final sauce perfectly mellow and smooth.
• Dried Oregano and Dried Basil: The classic Italian herb duo! They infuse the sauce with that familiar, aromatic flavor as it cooks.
• Bay Leaf: This magic leaf adds a subtle, savory nuance that develops during the long simmer. Remember to fish it out before serving!
• Salt and Pepper: Seasoning is key! Taste and adjust at the end to make sure all those gorgeous flavors truly pop.
• Fresh Basil: Stirred in right before serving, this adds a burst of freshness and brightness that elevates the whole dish.
• Cooked Pasta of Choice: The perfect vehicle for all that delicious gravy! Choose something sturdy like rigatoni, ziti, or pappardelle.

Note: The exact measurements and quantities for all these amazing ingredients will be found right under this article in the recipe card!

How to Make the Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce

This is a true slow-cooking experience, but the steps themselves are incredibly easy. Just set aside a few hours, pour yourself a glass of wine, and let the kitchen magic happen!

Step 1: Build the Flavor Base

Heat your olive oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and let it soften for about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just 1 minute until it’s fragrant—don’t let it burn!

Step 2: Brown the Meats

Add the chunks of beef stew meat and sliced turkey sausages to the pot. Brown them nicely on all sides for about 6-8 minutes. This step is crucial for building deep, complex flavor! Next, gently tuck the meatballs into the pot and stir carefully so they don’t break apart.

Step 3: Mix the Sauce Ingredients

Pour in both cans of crushed tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the tomato paste. Give everything a good stir until the paste is fully dissolved into the liquid.

Step 4: Season and Simmer

Toss in the sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce up to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. This is the fun part: let it simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so to prevent sticking. The longer it simmers, the better it gets!

Step 5: Finish and Serve

Once the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened beautifully, remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper one last time. Finally, stir in that gorgeous fresh basil, and ladle the Sunday Sauce generously over hot, perfectly cooked pasta. Buon Appetito!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Go Low and Slow: The secret to this “gravy” is time! Resist the urge to crank up the heat. A low, slow simmer is what tenderizes the meat and develops that incredible flavor depth.
• The Right Pot Matters: Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. This distributes heat evenly and prevents the sauce from scorching on the bottom during the long cooking time.
• Source Great Tomatoes: Since tomatoes are the star, try to use a high-quality brand of crushed tomatoes. It makes a noticeable difference in the final taste!
• Taste Test Often: Always taste your sauce before serving! Since the flavors concentrate as it simmers, you might need a little extra salt or pepper at the end to make it perfect.

How to Serve

This is a showstopper all on its own, but here are a few ways to serve this comforting meal:

• Classic Pasta Pairing: Serve it over a thick, sturdy pasta like rigatoni, paccheri, or ziti that can hold up to the hearty meat.
• The Side Game: Pair it with a simple, crisp green salad dressed with a bright vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
• Don’t Forget the Bread: Keep a loaf of crusty Italian bread handy for soaking up every last bit of that luscious sauce—a necessity!
• The Cheese Finish: A generous grating of freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese right before serving is non-negotiable!

Make Ahead and Storage

Since this sauce takes a few hours to cook, it’s ideal for cooking on the weekend and enjoying all week long!

Storing Leftovers

Once cooled completely, transfer the sauce and meat to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and the flavors actually get better the next day!

Freezing

Sunday Sauce freezes wonderfully! Place cooled sauce in a freezer-safe container, leaving about an inch of headspace for expansion. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if it has thickened too much in storage.

FAQs

1. Why do some people call this ‘gravy’ and not ‘sauce’? The name “gravy” often comes from Italian-American tradition, particularly when the sauce is made with various meats (like this one!). The meat fats render into the tomato base, creating a richer, almost gravy-like texture, which sets it apart from a simple marinara or plain tomato sauce. It’s simply a term of endearment for this hearty dish!
2. Can I substitute the dried herbs for fresh ones? Absolutely! If you want to use fresh herbs during the long simmer, you will need to increase the amount significantly—about three times the amount of dried herbs specified. However, the best practice is to stick with dried oregano and basil during the simmer for deep flavor, and save the fresh basil for stirring in at the very end to capture its bright, herbaceous pop.
3. What is the purpose of adding sugar to the sauce? Sugar is added to tomato sauce to help balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes. A small amount helps mellow out the flavor profile, ensuring your final sauce is perfectly balanced and not too sharp or acidic. You can sometimes omit it if you are using very sweet, ripe, or high-quality canned tomatoes, but it’s a helpful insurance policy!
4. Can I cook this sauce in a slow cooker or Crock-Pot? Yes, you can! Follow the first two steps (browning the meat and softening the aromatics) on the stovetop first. Then, transfer everything to your slow cooker, mix in the remaining ingredients, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. It achieves the same incredible tenderness and deep flavor with less watching!