Sunday sauce is something that anyone who grew up in an Italian household will recognize. And there's no right or wrong way to make it. The only real rules are that it should simmer for a very long time, and it should make the entire house smell fantastic. The recipe below uses a combination of ground beef and sausage, but you can use short ribs, pork, or even lamb.
Lastly, we're well aware that there's an ongoing debate as to whether it's called gravy or sauce; and it's one that's not going to end anytime soon. So where do we stand on the matter? You should call it sauce. Or gravy. Or anything else you'd like to call it. One thing everyone will be calling this is "darn good!"
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Kate Elliott
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How to make slow cooker Sunday sauce
8
10 minutes
7 hours, 10 minutes
7 hours, 20 minutes
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds Italian sausage, hot or mild
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup red wine
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped in a small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil, roughly chopped, for garnish
Heat butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot and starting to foam, add the sausages and sear them on all sides. Add to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well to incorporate everything together.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. When ready, serve over hot pasta and garnish with fresh basil.
