Not gonna lie, sometimes I fancy myself an old Italian grandmother. Nothing I LOVE better than taking an afternoon knocking out some "Sunday Gravy" for the family pasta night. This sauce layers TONS of different flavors into a hot tub of amazing sauce to toss with your favorite noodles. Be sure to pick a hearty one (like pappardelle or corkscrew). Angel Hair would NOT make the cut!
MARCUS D.'S SUNDAY SAUCE
Ingredients:
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (no added basil!)
- 1/2 lb ground sirloin
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup red or white wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup fresh, shredded parmesan cheese
- OPTIONAL: 2 tablespoons anchovy paste
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Maple syrup or sugar to taste
Directions:
- Pour the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and crush them with your hands.
- Add olive oil to a 6 quart stock pot or Dutch Oven. Wait for it to come to temp and add diced vegetables. Saute with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook on medium (or one notch below) until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add the wine and reduce ALL THE WAY down. You really want the essence and flavor with very little liquid. Add the meat and cook until there is still a little pink left(you don't want to brown it all the way, you want it to finish cooking in the liquid, not in direct pan heat).
- Add the tomato paste and anchovy paste, cook for about 60 seconds while mixing in.
- Add crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer. Let cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer, the better.
- Add grated parmesan(always fresh, never the pre-grated stuff, it won't melt)
- Salt and pepper to taste. You can add a bit of maple sugar or regular white sugar here just to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes. Go easy though...you can always add, you can't take out if it gets too sweet.
- Serve over a hearty cooked noodle(my girls love pappardelle or fusilli(the corkscrew pasta).
- Top with chopped parsley and more parm cheese.
Enjoy!