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A plate of fettuccine pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese sits on a table set for dinner, alongside red wine, a bowl of meatballs, and a box of Barilla fettuccine.
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5 from 2 votes

Nonna's Sunday Sauce with Meatballs & Spareribs

A big pot of slow-simmered tomato sauce, tender spareribs, and golden meatballs — this is what Sunday tastes like.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian, meatballs, pan sauce, Pasta, sunday meal
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • Three 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large stem fresh basil

For the Spareribs & Meatballs

  • 2 lbs bone-in spareribs seasoned generously with salt
  • 1.5 –2 lbs ground meat I like a mix of ½ lb pork, ½ lb beef, ½ lb veal
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup day-old bread chopped
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1 tbsp salt or to taste
  • Olive oil for frying

For the Pasta

  • 1 lb Barilla pasta rigatoni, fettuccine, or spaghetti work beautifully
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano for tossing

Instructions

Sear the Spareribs

  • Pat the ribs dry and season all over with salt. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, sear them over medium-high heat until deeply golden on all sides. Work in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.

Build the Sauce

  • Lower the heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic to the same pot. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes.
  • Crush the peeled tomatoes by hand (or blend if you prefer a smooth sauce), then add them to the pot along with the water and basil. Bring to a simmer.

Simmer with Ribs

  • Return the seared spareribs to the sauce. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the ribs are tender and the sauce is full of depth.

Make the Meatballs

  • While the sauce simmers, soak the bread in milk until softened, then break it up well with your hands. In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, soaked bread, garlic, parsley, eggs, Parmigiano, and salt. Mix gently by hand and form into meatballs — don’t overwork the mixture.

Fry the Meatballs

  • In a large skillet, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning until browned on all sides. They don’t need to be fully cooked through — just beautifully golden.

Finish the Sauce

  • During the final 15–20 minutes of simmering, nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce. Let them gently finish cooking in the pot, absorbing all that Sunday flavor.

Cook the Pasta & Assemble

  • Boil the pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain, then toss immediately with 1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Add a few ladlefuls of sauce and mix until the pasta is glossy and well coated.

Serve

  • Plate the pasta, then spoon more sauce on top. Serve with the meatballs and ribs, and finish with another sprinkle of Parmigiano. Enjoy with your people.

Nutrition

Calories: 836kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1919mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 438mg | Iron: 4mg
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