Sunday Gravy is more than Sunday dinner in Italian-American homes it’s a tradition of family that brings everyday Sunday into celebration of heritage and family. The stove hisses with the smell of browned meat cooked in olive oil, the home filled with the comfort scent of tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that draws all people to the stove as much as a hug. To them, it’s an introduction to childhood homesickness, remembering visions of grandmas slow-cooking the pots, kids getting a taste off the spoon, and tables covered in relatives gathered ’round, telling tales, with bowls of noodles smothered in heavy, meaty gravy.
Sunday Gravy is no five-o’clock weeknight spaghetti sauce; it’s a labor of love, with long hours of slow simmering turning plain ingredients into a masterpiece of flavor. The argument as to whether or not to refer to it as “sauce” or “gravy” is a last flight of foolishness, and it inspires heated arguments that indicate just how much each family prides itself on its take on this age-old but reliable. It has more to do with family tradition than food, reunifying generations around meals passed down like heirlooms.
What follows is a guide to crafting your own Sunday Gravy, blending tradition with practical tips to make it approachable for any home cook. From selecting the perfect meats to mastering the simmer, you’ll discover how to create a sauce that’s both deeply personal and true to its roots. By the end, you’ll be ready to fill your home with those irresistible aromas and start a tradition that could become a cherished part of your family’s story.
The Great Sauce vs. Gravy Debate
The question of whether to call it sauce or gravy is a beloved topic in Italian-American kitchens, where every family has a story and an opinion about what’s right. To others, “gravy” is the full-bodied, meaty flavor of the dish, in contrast to watery tomato sauces, and to others yet “sauce” or Italian “sugo” is left, a nod to recipes brought to America on the shoulders of immigrant ancestors. Such good-natured debate gives every pot a history, weaving together heritage, regionalism, and personal memory.
- Refers to Italian immigrant heritage family tradition.
- Varies by region, e.g., New Jersey or South Philly.
- Contact with “sugo d’arrosto,” Italian roast juice.
- Encourages talk that adds depth to the cultural background of the dish.
In contrast to the elaborate gravies of the South, Sunday Gravy is a tomato sauce flavored by the slow reduction of meat, bones, and connective tissue to a deep, full-bodied paste. The defenses of the name do not alter its nature but add a little personality, like stories of Nonna’s recipe or Pop-Pop’s rule that “gravy is for turkey.”
It’s a reminder that food is filled with history, and whatever family’s appropriation of any of these names shall be theirs is a badge of identity. To assume that stance is to bring Sunday Gravy beyond a dinner Sunday Gravy’s a method of relating to ancestry and sharing your heritage. You say sauce, gravy, or sugo, but the fact that you say it binds you to generations that come after you, so every Sunday is a celebration of community and heritage.
Old Italian Meat Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven For long simmering and combining all ingredients.
- 1 Large Skillet For browning meats and sautéing aromatics.
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef’s knife
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Heatproof Spatula For stirring and scraping.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 3 cups red wine divided
- 2 pounds fresh mushrooms sliced
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3 29 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook beef and pork in the hot skillet until crumbly and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Warm olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup wine; mix well.
- Add mushrooms, oregano, rosemary, and thyme to onion mixture. Pour in another 1/2 cup wine; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add browned meat, tomato sauce, and tomato paste to mushroom mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Pour in remaining 2 cups wine. Continue simmering for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally; serve.
Notes
Selecting Meats for Concentrated Flavor
The glory of Sunday Gravy is the meat, as all of them bring some depth to the dish that helps elevate the sauce to platonic heights. Pork ribs with bone and marrow intact dissolve when cooked to release gelatin, imparting a rich, buttery texture which cannot be achieved by boneless meat. Beef cubes such as chuck or short ribs provide deep richness, and Italian sausage provides hot, spicy flavor that infuses the dish so that each bite is an orchestra of taste.
- Bone-in pork ribs for gelatinous, rich depth.
- Beef chuck or short ribs for meaty, tender depth.
- Italian sausage, mild or hot, do not leave out, to add bold flavor to each bite.
- Braciole or meatballs, optional, for extra comfort and pizzazz.
Browning them is a first and initial requirement, initiating the Maillard reaction a chemical reaction that gives a deep, rich crust and forms fond, those browned-on pieces at the bottom of the pot, creating the flavor foundations of the sauce. Browning in batches and cooking over medium-high heat imparts each bite its golden crust, locking juices in and making room for a sauce that’s dark and deeply satisfying. A bite worth waiting for.
Your choice of meat will be a personal preference, price point, or what you find in the market, so each batch is yours. Mixing and replacing combinations grinding lots of pork or a dash of veal to give a dash of sophistication allows you the leeway to change the recipe without losing its essence. It’s your time to make Sunday Gravy your tradition and family taste.
Meat Pie
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan For boiling potatoes
- 1 Large Saucepan For browning meat mixture
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 9-inch Pie plate
- 1 Fork For crimping pie edges
Ingredients
Main
- 1 medium potato peeled and cubed
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ⅓ clove garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 1 15 ounce package refrigerated pie crusts
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Place potato in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Drain, mash, and set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Meanwhile, crumble ground beef and pork into a large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, mustard powder, thyme, sage, cloves, salt, and black pepper. Stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until meat is evenly browned. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Remove from the heat and mix in mashed potato. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Ease one pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with meat mixture, then top with the remaining pie crust. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Trim any excess dough, then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Prick top crust a few times with a knife to vent steam. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Bake in the preheated oven until crust is browned, about 25 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Notes
Choosing the Best Tomatoes
Tomatoes form the foundation of Sunday Gravy, and utilizing the best tomatoes is what is going to make your meal go from good to legendary. San Marzano tomatoes, which are cultivated on Italy’s volcanic soil, are so sweet and low-acid that they provide you with a foundation which requires little or no sugar to balance it. Hand-crushing fresh tomatoes provides a coarse grind that’s raw and brings you close to the no-frills ethos of Italian-American cuisine.
- San Marzano tomatoes for sweetness and intense flavor.
- Whole, peeled tomatoes hand-crushed for coarse texture.
- Tomato paste for richest depth and body.
- Optional tomato puree to control sauce consistency.
Over-drying some tomato paste is a revelation in that instant caramelization concentrates the sweetness intensely and wards off raw and metallic flavor. This is excellent in preventing the sauce from detaching from the pasta, communicating meat and herbal flavor bites bite for bite.
If, by some misfortune, the sauce needs to be adjusted, a sprinkle of puree will thicken it up without making it any less smooth or even in texture. Indulge in good tomatoes in a tribute to the Italian roots of the dish, letting supporting ingredients shine. They’re the adhesive that holds the sauce together, and every bite is light, done, and well worth the Sunday table.
Building Depth with Aromatics
Aromatics such as garlic and onions are Sunday Gravy’s hidden heroes, their strong smell wafting through the air to entice everyone to the kitchen. Sauté pale yellow onion thin slices until pale and tender to draw out their own built-in sweetness, and garlic minced to pack a flavor punch or whole for restraint adds deep, rich, pungent flavor. They’re a foundation on which the sauce’s own intense build-up of flavor depends and are thus de rigueur to the dish’s magic.
- Yellow onions to add sweet caramel depth.
- Whole cloves of garlic for more subtle infusion.
- Plucked fresh basil for a strong, final burst.
Salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes season the balance, and a parmesan rind cooked in the pot adds an incredible deep umami richness that is unbeatable. Some freshness from fresh herbs, such as torn basil added toward the end, cuts the richness and makes the sauce snappy and inviting. They’re both about layering flavors gently so each bite is rich and comforting.
Browning aromatics is all about coaxing out all of their flavor with gentle heat, the stage on which the remainder of the dish will later have center stage. It’s an easy step but one that pays huge dividends, and it transforms your gravy into something of a treat that will warm the whole house and make the place feel cozy and inviting.
The Chemistry of Browning and Deglazing
Browning the meat isn’t just about cooking it up to a good color it’s a chemical reaction, the Maillard reaction, which creates hundreds of flavor molecules, and is what gives the sauce its richness. Searing each piece in hot olive oil creates a crust that traps the juices inside and leaves fond, those browned bits that stick to the pan. This is the base to a rich, rich sauce, and there’s no going fast at the expense of flavor.
- Batch searing not to steam but to caramelize.
- Fond as the better indicator of rich, deep flavor.
- Dry red wine such as Chianti or Montepulciano to deglaze.
Deglazing with a splash of wine lifts the fond into the sauce, adding a bright acidity that balances the richness of the meats and tomatoes. The wine’s quality matters choose one you’d enjoy drinking, as it enhances the sauce’s complexity and ties all the flavors together.
This process is where science meets soul, turning raw ingredients into something truly special. Understand this chemistry and you’re in charge of being able to take your cooking to the next level, and each Sunday Gravy pot will be nothing short of divine. It’s a memory that giving yourself a little extra time in the kitchen can pay off in the end.
Mastering the Long, Slow Simmer
It is in the simmer that Sunday Gravy comes to life, with gentle sorcery of heat taking place over several hours to turn tough meat into tender, bite-stopping bits. Your best bet is a Dutch oven or heavy pot, where heat is gradually circulated so searing is avoided while connective tissue of the meat dissolves into gelatin. The slow-torture technique leaches flavor into a rich, homespun inevitable sauce at the center of the dish.
- Low heat to slow-cook aggressively tough pieces of meat.
- Covered pot firmly so as not to burn or scorch while tenderizing evenly.
- Partial lid so that evaporation is balanced with flavor concentration.
- 2–8 hours time frame for best depth and richness.
The sauce is held even by minimal stirring, and the adjustment on the lid allows you to regulate thickness open for thick, covered for loose. With the aromas drifting into the kitchen and fragrancing the air, anticipation is heightened and waiting becomes event-like.
A slow cooker can fill in the gap for busy cooks after initial browning, with no-stir alleviation that still leaves you depth of flavor. This trouble-free process lets you sit back and enjoy time with loved ones while the pot conjures its magic on your behalf. The payoff is a sauce so decadent and rich that it feels like a temporal gift, rewarding you for your patience with each spoonful.
Ellen’s Chicken Cacciatore
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet Preferably heavy-bottomed, with a lid
- 1 Chef’s knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- 1 Measuring spoons/cups
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs – fat trimmed
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 8 ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary or to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken thighs in hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cook and stir onion and mushrooms in the same skillet until mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 more minutes.
- Pour in tomatoes with juice, white wine, orange juice, rosemary, salt, and black pepper; stir until thoroughly combined.
- Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is tender and no longer pink on the inside, 30 to 40 minutes.
Notes
Adding Personal Touches with Variations
Sunday Gravy is beautiful in its adaptability, so feel free to experiment with the meats and spices to your liking. Some prefer all-pork for its depth of meat flavor, but some include veal shanks or braciole to add some sophistication. Meat,column_name=Meatballs, added during the last hour, soak up the sauce without falling apart, serving good comfort.
- All-pork for hearty, meaty flavor.
- Veal or braciole for sophisticated, depthful flavor.
- Meatballs for hot, crowd-pleasing bites.
- Red pepper flakes or more wine to bring depth that can be adapted.
Add-ins such as a parmesan rind or a pour of wine bring depth, and herbs such as oregano or an Italian mix bring your own signature. The choices allow you to tip one’s hat to tradition but put your own spin on it so the dish is both intriguing and unique. Customizing enables you to combine tradition and innovation so that each batch will taste like the flavor your family will enjoy. It is a method of making a recipe that is classically timeless but exclusively yours.
Serving with Warmth and Tradition
Sunday Gravy over is a celebratory tradition that explodes on the plate, meat on individual plates so that guests can pick and choose their favorites. Sauce, with rich pasta such as rigatoni or ziti, clings perfectly, draping each mouthful in richness of flavor. A sprinkle of shaved parmesan with a pinch of parsley provides a burst of bright, herbaceous finish that completes the dish.
- Perfection due to the utilization of rigatoni or ziti for a greater adherence of the sauce.
- One platter of meat for individualization of every serving.
- Parsley and Parmesan for taste and presentation.
- Crusty Italian bread for dipping into each drip.
Simple sides such as peppery arugula salad or roasted zucchini slice through richness, and a robust red wine such as Barolo or Nero d’Avola slices the richness of the sauce. These combinations make dinner a night to remember, with stories and laughter filling the air. This ritual makes the meal a feast, a meal that creates memories longer than the wash-up, so Sundays are always special.
Maximizing the Magic of Leftovers
Sunday Gravy is seasoned day two, when flavors left overnight to mature have combined and strengthened, making leftovers a blessing. Store sauce in sealed containers for four days of maximum freshness or freeze in portions for a month and serve up instant, comforting dinners from your pantry. Low heat stovetop simmering helps maintain texture and flavor.
- Store for four days of maximum freshness.
- Freeze in batches for easy future meals.
- Delicate reheating preserves tenderness and flavor.
- Pan-frying leftover spaghetti yields a crispy, flavorful alternative.
Pan-frying leftover sauced pasta in olive oil until warmed through and lightly crispy a method some humorously refer to as “fried spaghetti” serves as a playful variation that’s so good you’ll cook leftovers. This convenience transforms your work into multiple meals, each as appealing as the first. Leftovers turn Sunday Gravy into an ongoing gift that keeps on giving, converting last night’s supper into a week of comforting, convenient meals.
Why Sunday Gravy Is Timeless
Sunday Gravy clings because it is not a recipe it’s tradition, family, and pleasure of gathering around the table to eat. Time is invested but repaid in unparalled comfort, flavor, and feeling of community. Each pot carries with us the tradition of the previous generations, melding old and new.
- Memories that come along with immigrant ancestors’ absolute favorite dishes.
- Reshaping for life these days in slow cooker versions.
- Creates sensory memory with powerful scents.
- Develops community via shared experience of dining together.
In a world that moves so fast, Sunday Gravy encourages us to linger, to revel in transition, and to sit down to share. Its emotional strength perpetuates itself in kitchens generation after generation, proof of its lasting energy. Its heritage, challenging you to write your page in the centuries-old book that has been fermenting, feeding body and soul with equal fervor with each spoonful.
North End Sunday Gravy
Equipment
- 1 Large Stockpot Essential for browning meats and long simmering.
- 1 Large Skillet For browning Italian sausage and meatballs separately.
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For preparing and shaping the meatballs.
- 1 Sharp Chef’s Knife For chopping aromatics and processing meats.
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Heat-Resistant Spatula For stirring and scraping the pot during browning and simmering.
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 cup olive oil divided
- 2 pork neck bones
- 1 country-style pork rib
- 1 8 ounce beef chuck in 1 piece
- 1 beef rib or more to taste
- 1 lamb shank
- 3 pinches dried basil or to taste, divided
- 3 pinches dried mint or to taste, divided
- 3 pinches red pepper flakes or to taste, divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 1 12 ounce can tomato paste
- 7 cups water or as needed
- 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- ½ tablespoon white sugar or to taste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 4 ounces ground pork
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat; add neck bones, pork rib, beef chuck, beef rib, and lamb shank. Cook, flipping often, until browned on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the same stockpot over medium heat; add 1 pinch each basil, mint, and red pepper flakes. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste until incorporated. Add water and crushed tomatoes; bring to a low boil. Add remaining 2 pinches each basil, mint, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and black pepper.
- Return browned meats to stockpot; bring to a simmer and cook 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove and discard neck bones.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; crumble in Italian sausage. Cook and stir until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir sausage and sugar into tomato sauce; heat to a simmer and cook 1 1/2 hours.
- Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, ground pork, milk, parsley, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 clove minced garlic in a large bowl with your hands until evenly mixed; shape into 2-inch meatballs.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; cook until evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add meatballs to tomato sauce; simmer for 1 hour, adding water as needed to keep sauce from becoming too thick. Let sit off heat 2 to 3 minutes. Skim and discard any fat from top of sauce.
