Sunday Sauce
Simply put, the G.O.A.T.
Tomato sauce is the backbone of an Italian-American kitchen — loaded with meatballs & sausage, layered in ‘parms’, swirled solo with spaghetti — and every family’s recipe is akin to their bloodline. My family’s is a simple, less-is-definitely-more approach, and (unlike the name suggests) does not need an entire Sunday to simmer.
I’ve made few changes to this classic, starting with magically fragrant onions, garlic and red wine — the definitive smell of my childhood.
I use a combination of crushed and pureed tomatoes for my preferred consistency, but will occasionally use all puree when feeling closer to my roots. Don’t be afraid to improvise, either. Have some fresh parsley lying around? Go for it.
Jarred sauce could never.
Let’s cook!
You’ll need:
1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
3 oz tomato paste (about a half a tube)
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, rolled & chopped
~1 c dry red, Italian wine* (Sangiovese or Montepulciano)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Quality EVOO
Salt & fresh-ground black pepper
Optional: 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
Makes enough sauce for 1 lb of cooked pasta, + meatballs.
*Always only cook with a wine that you'd also drink!
Steps:
Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven (or any deep sauce pot) generously with EVOO*. Heat on medium. *If making Sunday Meatballs, use less EVOO in light of the pancetta drippings.
Once hot, add the diced onion to the oil. Salt generously, and stir occasionally until the onion starts to lightly brown and soften (~5 minutes). Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, sauté for 1-2 minutes more, being careful to not brown the garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste until caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the red wine and allow to cook down, another 1-2 minutes.
Add both cans of San Marzanos and basil — bring to a boil, before reducing the heat. Drop in half-stick of a butter, and the Parmigiano Reggiano rind if using. (Pro tip: buy Parmesan rinds at Whole Foods and keep in your freezer for steeping in sauces and soups!)
Simmer for 30 minutes (or up to ~2 hours as needed). Taste for salt, add. Depending on how long you simmer, you may want to thin down the sauce just slightly (using low-sodium chicken stock; if not on-hand, use pasta water).
Boil pasta al dente, according to package instructions. Check for doneness before draining well. Combine cooked pasta with about half of the sauce to start, ladling in more to preference.