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A close-up of a dish of baked meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh chopped basil. A wooden spoon is placed in the dish, suggesting it is ready to be served. The dish is in a white rectangular baking dish, reminiscent of a hearty chicken spinach flatbread pizza recipe.

Authentic Sunday Sauce (with Meatballs) Recipe

Stacy Ling
Homemade Sunday sauce just like Nonna’s! Rich tomato gravy and savory meatballs. Easy, step-by-step Italian gravy recipe.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10 people
Calories 695 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 400
  • Saute garlic in EVOO over medium high heat
  • When the garlic releases that smell (about 30 seconds), add crushed tomatoes
  • Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Taste as you go - the amounts recommended above or estimates.
  • Heat for a few minutes, then allow to simmer
  • Place sausage on a baking sheet.
    raw sweet italian sausage links on baking sheet
  • Pierce sausages with a fork
  • Bake for 30 minutes
  • Remove from oven, then add to tomato sauce
    Making Sunday sauce with sweet Italian sausage
  • Make meatballs and add to same baking sheet.
    Makinng meatballs for Sunday sauce on baking sheet instead of frying
  • Bake meatballs for 25 minutes
    after removing meatballs from oven before adding to sunday sauce
  • Remove from oven then add to sauce
  • Simmer all day stirring pot occasionally
    close up Sunday Sauce with meatballs and sausages
  • Heat up and serve with your favorite pasta or make sandwiches
    A close-up of a dish of baked meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh chopped basil. A wooden spoon is placed in the dish, suggesting it is ready to be served. The dish is in a white rectangular baking dish, reminiscent of a hearty chicken spinach flatbread pizza recipe.

Notes

The sausage can be browned and cooked on the stovetop too. For me, it's less messy to bake it in the oven. I've also grilled them before and then dropped them in the sauce.
For my yummy meatball recipe, click here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gramsCalories: 695kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 28gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 1477mgPotassium: 779mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 303IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Meatballs in Italian Gravy, Sunday Sauce, Sweet Italian Sausage
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