A Classic Italian Sunday Feast

My husband grew up in an Italian American home where most Sundays a classic meal was served around 2:00 P.M. in the afternoon. If you visit a home in one of the towns that has a “Little Italy” on a Sunday, you will more than likely smell the wonderful aroma of a long simmered sauce that fills the house.

This special sauce or “gravy” as some people call it is not a typical marinara sauce. It is a sauce prepared with a variety of meats which usually includes meatballs and sausages. It can also have braciole, pork or beef ribs, and other chunks of meat. The meat juices give the sauce a rich taste that is enhanced from hours of low and slow cooking.

A Sunday Feast

My husband’s mother would start preparing this feast in the morning. Getting out her largest pots and pans, a tomato sauce would be started. Next on the agenda, braciole would be prepared. Braciole is a thin piece of meat that is stuffed, rolled, tied, browned and then simmered in the sauce. It can be stuffed with a variety of grated cheeses, prosciutto, eggs, breadcrumbs and herbs. No two cooks make it the same. She also added  meatballs and sausages to her sauce.

The family and often friends would gather around the table to enjoy the feast. First, pasta would be served with the sauce. Next would come the meat that had been simmered in the sauce. This would be accompanied with a large loaf of crusty bread to wipe up the sauce and juices on the plate.  A lettuce and tomato salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar would be served along side. Last but not least, coffee and wonderful Italian pastries would be placed on the table. Sunday was a day of laughter and good food that my husband remembers fondly.

I like to prepare a meal for my husband that reminds him of his traditional Sunday meal with his family.

A Recipe For A Sunday Feast

• 12 cups of basic sauce* or 3 large cans of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 or more garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes and the dried herbs and seasoning. Let simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1  egg, beaten
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. grated Pecorino cheese

Mix all ingredients and form into meatballs. Sauté on all sides until brown and add to the sauce.

• 1 large link each of hot and sweet Italian sausage
• 2 braciole

Brown the sausages and braciole and add to the sauce.

Let the sauce simmer over low heat with a lid that is cracked for several hours. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove lid and simmer until desired thickness.

To finish the sauce add fresh herbs to brighten the taste.

• 2 – 3 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Cook your favorite pasta until al dente, drain and toss with some of the sauce. Serve the pasta with a large platter of the meats, extra sauce and grated cheese on the side. I also like to serve a bowl whipped basil ricotta to top the pasta for additional flavor.

Does you family have a tradition of eaten a special meal on Sundays or is a meal like this limited to special occasions?