Sunday Sauce with Meatballs, Sausages, and Pork Chops
Serves 8 to 10
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mild sausage
½ pound hot Italian sausage
6 thinly sliced pork chops (about 3 pounds)
2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
2 onions, diced
1 cup pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 gallon canned Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
2 cups fresh basil, chopped
2 pounds cooked signature meatballs
2 pounds uncooked rigatoni pasta
Method:
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and saute 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 meat from pot and set aside. Keep pan over medium heat and deglaze it by adding 1 cup of the wine and scraping up the bits.
In the same pot, add the garlic, onions, pancetta, and crushed pepper and cook until onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup of red wine and cook until the mixture is reduced by half. Add tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour over low heat.
Add basil, sausages, pork chops, and meatballs to the tomato sauce, and summer for 1 more hour over low heat.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss it with the Sunday Sauce, and serve immediately.
