Sunday Sauce Recipe

Sunday Sauce

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This recipe may be an all-afternoon affair, but the dinnertime reward is well worth the hours of delicious anticipation endured in the sauce's captivating aroma as it cooks.

By Pat LaFrieda

Updated on May 5, 2023

Active Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

5 hrs

Yield:

8 servings

This is the quintessential LaFrieda family comfort food. When butcher Pat LaFrieda was growing up, the meat in the sauce varied based on what his dad brought home from the butcher shop — one weekend, it might be spicy Italian sausage, the next, it might be spareribs. The slow-cooked beef short ribs Pat uses in the version from his book Meat give this Sunday sauce recipe a lovely richness.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds bone-in, English-cut beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces (see Note)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 medium carrot, peeled
2 pounds spaghetti

Directions

Julia Hartbeck

Gather the ingredients.
Julia Hartbeck

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole in a single layer. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer the short ribs to a plate.
Julia Hartbeck

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the casserole. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Julia Hartbeck

Add the tomato paste, garlic, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices and the carrot; bring to a boil.
Julia Hartbeck

Return the short ribs and their juices to the casserole, cover partially, and simmer over low heat, turning the short ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick, about 4 hours.
Julia Hartbeck

Transfer the short ribs to a plate; discard the carrot. Discard the bones and cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch chunks.

Julia Hartbeck

Return the meat to the sauce and season with salt and pepper; keep warm over low heat.
Julia Hartbeck

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Julia Hartbeck

Transfer the spaghetti to the pot with the sauce, toss well, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Serve the pasta immediately.