Sunday sauce is a thick and hearty homemade marinara sauce loaded with meatballs and sausage. Simple ingredients cook slowly and transform into an ultra flavorful main dish your family will crave. It’s a perfect meal to serve a crowd!
Most days I have a strong feeling that this sauce is what’s running through my veins.
Do you have a meal from your childhood that embodies all things love, tradition, and family? Sunday sauce is that dish for me.
On Sundays I’d hang around the house attempting to do my homework, inhaling the smell of this sauce simmering away on the stove top all afternoon. Eventually my homework would be done and I’d celebrate by eating my weight in sauce, meatballs, sausage, pasta, cheese, crusty bread…you know, Italian food’s heavy hitters.
We affectionately call our sauce ‘Sunday sauce’ because it takes several hours to make. This is not a very weeknight-friendly recipe. It’s the perfect type of recipe for those days you’re hanging around the house and can keep a periodic eye on the pot bubbling away on the stove.
The good news is that while this sauce takes time to make, the active time is pretty minimal.
Sunday Sauce Ingredients
There are three main components to Sunday sauce: meatballs, sausage, and the hearty marinara sauce.
The sauce consists of very basic ingredients, but pure magic happens as it simmers on the stove over the course of an afternoon. It simmers, thickens, and develops such a deep, rich flavor. Definitely a 'whole greater than the sum of its parts' situation, you know?
For the sauce you'll need:
- crushed tomatoes
- olive oil
- onions
- garlic cloves
- dried oregano
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Technically that's all you need for a delicious pot of sauce, but I like to add meatballs and sausage to round out a full meal. All you need is to boil up a pot of pasta, make a salad, and you have enough food to serve a large (ten or so) crowd.
Step-by-Step Instructions
What I like to do is start by getting the sauce going before I move on to cooking the meat.
The first step is to sauté the onions, then add garlic. Stir that up with the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil and let everything simmer. Simple ingredients, simple steps.
Once that begins to simmer, it's time for the meat.
Now everyone has different preferences when it comes to meatballs, but I always bake them. It's easier, it's healthier, and there's no questions about when they'll be cooked through.
Psst - while I go for beef here, these Italian sausage meatballs (half beef and half sausage) and baked turkey meatballs are reader/family favorites.
My meatball mixture consists of ground beef, Parmesan cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper, and you'll want to mix everything together until just combined. I like to get in there with my hands for this part to ensure things don't get overmixed.
You can stop there and have an amazing meal of pasta, meatballs, and sauce, OR you can do what I do and add some sausage to the mix.
To do so, arrange one pack of Italian sausages (mild, hot, sweet...whatever your preference) on a large rimmed baking sheet along with the meatballs. Cook for forty minutes, then add the meatballs and sausage to the pot of simmering sauce.
Let the sauce simmer for another hour or two, stirring everything up now and then, and you're all set. Lots of hands-off time here.
What Makes This Sauce Magic?
Answer: time.
While the sauce will be fairly thin at the start, over the next two to three hours it'll thicken into a wonderfully hearty marinara sauce that blows away anything you can find in a jar.
You'll want to use a very large pot so it doesn't splatter all over your cook top, and/or place a large lid or splatter screen over top.
If you're using a lid, leave it open a crack so the steam can escape. Trapping too much steam in there slows down the thickening which is essential to this sauce. One time I used my splatter screen instead of a lid and found it didn't let enough steam filter through. Just FYI.
And that's that! Stir it up every now and then to ensure the sauce along the bottom of the pot doesn't burn, then serve over your favorite pasta once it has thickened to your liking.
Spaghetti is an obvious choice, but we love tube pastas all the same. Most any shape would do, just probably not something small like elbows, orzo, pastina, etc.
There are many, many other sauce recipes on the Internet. They run the gamut from using plenty of extra ingredients like bay leaves, wine, or fancier cuts of meat to those that cook literally all day.
Some would even say it was blasphemous that this was called 'sauce' at all. <-- we're a 'sauce' family in the sauce vs. gravy standoff, if you couldn't tell. 😉
But while I'm absolutely biased, I love that this particular Sunday sauce recipe keeps things really as simple as they can be. It has easily accessible ingredients and a method that doesn't require a lot of hands-on time or tricky steps. And it's total comfort food, to boot.
Recipe Notes
- Cover the pot of sauce with a lid left open a crack as it simmers to cut down on splatter drops hitting your stove top. Be sure enough steam can escape, as that helps this Sunday sauce thicken beautifully.
- I like to cut each Italian sausage in half after they've been cooked and before adding them to the pot of sauce. I find that's easier when serving a crowd, as it's less daunting if people want to eat both meatballs and sausage.
More Italian-American Favorites
Sunday Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 4 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2-3 teaspoons dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the meatballs:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
For the sausage:
- 1 pound Italian sausage links (hot, mild, or sweet)
Instructions
For the sauce:
- In a large pot (at least an 8-quart capacity) set over medium heat, add olive oil and let heat. Add onions and cook until soft and golden, just starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer, and cover sauce pot (leaving lid open a crack for the steam to escape) and let simmer while you prepare the meatballs and sausage.
For the meatballs and sausage:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix together eggs, grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, and a few cracks of salt and pepper with a spoon or with your hands. Add ground beef and mix until evenly combined.
- Form meatballs about 1 ½ - 2" wide from the mixture. Using a cookie scoop helps make this part easier and less messy. Place meatballs evenly spaced on a large rimmed baking sheet. If also cooking sausage, arrange sausage links around the meatballs on the baking sheet. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until everything is browned and cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Lift meatballs off the sheet with tongs and add to the simmering sauce. If desired, cut each sausage in half before adding to the pot of sauce.
- Continue to let the sauce simmer on a low setting for an additional 2-3 hours, keeping the lid cracked, or until thickened to your liking. Stir sauce occasionally to ensure the very bottom doesn't burn. Add basil to the sauce at the end of the cook time. Add salt and pepper as needed throughout the simmer time, to taste.
- Serve meatballs, sausage, and sauce over your preferred pasta. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, more fresh basil, etc. Leftover portions of sauce/meatballs/sausage freeze very well!
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Jen says
So simple and easy and SO delicious. Made me think of my Italian grandmother who had her own Sunday sauce. Thank you!
Alyssa says
You're welcome, Jen! I'm so happy to hear that. 🙂
George says
Amazing sauce & Meatballs
Alyssa says
I'm so glad it was a hit, George! Thanks for leaving a review.
Traci says
So this is my first attempt at making cause. It has been 3 hours on simmer and the tase is very acidic.
I followed the recipe but maybe I'm just used to a sweeter sauce. Or maybe I did something wrong. What can I do?
Joe says
Traci, I have not tried this recipe yet but will be making it tomorrow. Try adding tablespoon of sugar to the crushed tomatoes at the beginning. Its supposed to reduce the acidity quite a bit. I hope this helps next time you make this.
Barbara Samsel says
I’ve made this a few time and friends loved it. I was wondering if I can make a meatloaf with the ground beef instead?
Alyssa says
Hi Barbara, I'm happy you enjoy this recipe! I haven't made this exact meatball mixture into meatloaf, but I think it would work. I'd probably shape it in a baking dish or on a rimmed sheet pan (vs. a loaf pan) so the fat can run off, and then increase the cook time as needed until the center reaches 165°F.
Len says
Made this for Father's Day and feedback was excellent. Was told it tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant!
Alyssa says
Wow! I'm so glad you and your family liked it, Len! Thanks for letting me know how it went.
Cathie says
Best sauce and meatballs in the world. I made it a few weeks ago and it is better than any sauce I ever had. I froze some and used it tonight. It was so good you could just drink it. One more comment, the meatballs were so delicious that I ate half of them before I served dinner.
Alyssa says
I'm so happy you love it, Cathie! Thanks for letting me know how it went!
Ang says
I’m going to try this recipe for my family when I was younger I lived in USA and this was my favourite meal - thank you for sharing x
I’m currently in Antigua with lots of USA ingredients whoop
Let you know how I get on can’t wait to try !
Kara says
Stupid question lol do you strain the crushed tomatoes before adding them to the po
Alyssa says
Hi there, nope don't strain!
John says
simple and easy recipe tgat im going to use tomorrow. Can you sear the meatballs and cook them right in the sauce?
Alyssa says
Hi John, you can definitely do that if you prefer! Hope you enjoy.
Catherine says
Dear Alyssa, it doesn't get any better than this! What a hearty and comforting meal...perfect any time!
I remember my parents would sometimes have a little competition to see whose sauce was better...it brings back such fun memories! I always think of my mom and day when I cook, no matter what it is I'm making. xo, Catherine
Alyssa says
Sauce competitions sound so fun, Catherine! And no doubt delicious all the way around. I love the memories that cooking brings up. Thank you!
Ashley @ My Midwest Table says
Spirit food is a thing! This sauce looks incredible, and I can totally see why you had a hard time focusing on homework with this simmering away. Being a grown up is pretty great sometimes. You can make this sauce whenever you want. 🙂 Yum!
Alyssa says
Haha yes!! Anytime sauce is a grown-up perk I hadn't thought of when I was little, but it's definitely true!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
Is it weird I want meatballs for breakfast? 😉 The holidays were always spent with my dad's family which meant 100% Italian food so lasagna and meatballs are near and dear to my heart. 🙂 This meal looks 110% AH-mazing.
Alyssa says
Not weird at ALL, Tina! I think I've snacked on some leftover meatballs for breakfast before. 🙂 Your holidays sound a lot like my holidays in terms of the food. Y-U-M, and great memories, too!
Ashley says
My grandma's meatballs are that food for me! Ah they are so good! I would eat some for dinner with pasta ... and then other times just eat them by themselves with a little bread for dipping. Yum yum!
And these look delicious! I love meals that make a lot and freeze well!
Alyssa says
Meatballs, sauce, and bread for dipping...YES! So, so good. I've made a lot of dinners out of that alone, with maybe a token five to ten strands of spaghetti. Haha!
Zainab says
This is just amazing. We eat lots of pasta and I am always looking for a good sauce. I have to try this!
Alyssa says
Thanks Zainab! Pasta is a favorite around here, too. 🙂
Renee@Two in the Kitchen says
This meatball sauce looks so hearty and tasty, I wouldn't even need pasta to go with it!! 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Renee! I must admit the pasta was really there for the photo's sake. I've definitely made a meal of just the sauce and meatballs before! 🙂