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 mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time3 hours hrs
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian, meatballs, pan sauce, Pasta, sunday meal
Servings: 6
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
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.
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.
Cook the Pasta & Assemble
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