January 30, 2008
The Scotto Family Recipe for Sunday Sauce
To buy Scotto Sunday Suppers, click here
Ingredients
œ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mild sausage
œ 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 canned Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chopped fresh basil
2 pounds cooked meatballs (see recipe)
2 pounds uncooked rigatoni pasta
Instructions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the sausages and pork chops until brown, about 10 minutes. Don't worry if the meat is not cooked through because it will finish in the sauce. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Keep pan over medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup of the wine and scraping up the bits.
2. 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 1 cup of red wine and cook until the mixture is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour over low heat.
3. Add the basil, sausages, pork chops, and meatballs to the tomato sauce, and simmer for 1 more hour over low heat.
4. 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.
Total cooking time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
For The Meatballs
2 slices white bread
œ cup milk
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1œ tablespoons chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
To Make The Meatballs
1. In a bowl, soak the bread in the milk. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread and milk, onions, parsley, eggs, cheese, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is dry, add œ cup of cold water and mix well. Form the mixture into about 12 meatballs.
2. Place the meatballs and the olive oil in a sauté pan and fry over medium to high heat until brown, 10 to 15 minutes, turning them regularly. Dry the meatballs on paper towels.