Sunday Pasta Sauce

By kawaibaby

Total cooking time:
2 hours, 15 minutes.

Recipes excerpted from “Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant” by Marion Scotto, Rosanna Scotto, Anthony, Jr. Scotto and Elaina Scotto. Copyright © 2002 by Marion Scotto, Rosanna Scotto, Anthony, Jr. Scotto and Elaina Scotto. Published by Harper Collins, Inc. All rights reseveved. No part of this excerpt can be used without permission of the publisher.

Ingredients

• Serving:6
• MEATBALLS
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 slices American bread soaked in a 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups tomato sauce, warmed (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sausage, mild
• 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
• 6 thinly sliced pork chops (about 3 pounds)
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 cup diced pancetta
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 gallon Italian tomatoes
• Add salt to taste
• 2 cups chopped basil
• 2 pounds cooked meatballs
• 1 pound uncooked rigatoni
• .

Preparation

Step 1

DIRECTIONS (Meatballs)
Soak the bread in the milk. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread, onions, parsley, eggs, cheese, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is dry, add ½ cup of cold water and mix well. Form into about 12 meatballs.
Place the meatballs in a sauté pan with the olive oil and fry over medium heat until brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
DIRECTIONS (GRAVY)
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the sausage and pork chops until brown, about 10 minutes. Don’t worry if the meat is not cooked through because the meat will cook through in the sauce. Remove the meat from pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup red wine.
In the same pot, add the garlic, onions, pancetta, and crushed pepper and cook until the onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cup of red wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer for 1 hour over low heat.

Add the basil, sausage, pork chops, and meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for an additional hour over low heat.
DIRECTIONS (PASTA)
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss it with the Sunday Sauce, and serve immediately.