The Sopranos Family's Sunday Gravy

A beloved Italian-American tradition, Sunday Gravy is a rich tomato sauce slow-simmered with a variety of meats. It’s classic comfort food.

Sunday Gravy is a beloved Italian-American tomato sauce — rich, slow-simmered, and the kind of recipe that feels like it’s been passed down through generations. It always reminds me of The Godfather, when Clemenza calls Michael into the kitchen to show him how it’s done. “Come over ’ere, kid. Learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday.” In the movie, Clemenza adds red wine and a pinch of sugar, but I like to stick with The Sopranos Family Cookbook recipe. It’s simple, but so good.

I like to serve Sunday Gravy with meatballs and save the other meats for another dinner — they’re perfect with polenta or mashed potatoes. But if you want, you can toss the meats you cooked with right into the pasta for an extra-hearty meal. And if you don’t have time to let the sauce simmer for a couple of hours, Grandma Ariko’s classic meatballs with marinara sauce make a great shortcut too — though nothing beats the deep, rich flavor of a Sunday Gravy!

This recipe has been adapted from The Sopranos Family Cookbook—a fictional book, but its recipes are the real deal. Authentic, solid and truly delicious, this cookbook has become one of my favorites!

Serve 8~12

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lb pork neck bones, spareribs, or pork chops

• 1 lb veal or beef stew meat

• 1 lb Italian sausage

• 4~5 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4C tomato paste

• 3 28-oz cans Italian peeled tomatoes

• 2C water

• about 1 tsp salt

• about 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 5~6 basil leaves, torn into small pieces

• Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

• meatballs

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Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, then add the pieces to the pot. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, for 10–12 minutes, or until evenly browned on all sides. Add the veal to the pot, brown it in the same way, and transfer it to the plate with the pork. Add the sausages to the same pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer to the plate with the other meats.

   

2. Drain off most of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Remove and discard the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

   

3. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.

   

4. Add the water, salt, black pepper, pork, veal, sausages, basil, and Parmesan cheese rind (if using) to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 2~2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Note: If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water to loosen it.)

   

5. Carefully remove the pork, veal, sausages from the sauce and set them aside. Then, add the meatballs to the sauce and continue cooking for about 15 minutes. Remove the Parmesan cheese rind and discard (if using).

   

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