Sunday sauce was a given, growing up in a large Italian family in New York. In Hawaii, we call it spaghetti sauce. Paula Caldiero’s extended family would gather at 2 p.m. on Sundays for meatballs with Sunday sauce. Paula’s son, Dave, is executive chef of Town Hospitality Group and would often make his mom’s recipe at Town. To do it her way, the meatballs are never fried. They are simmered in the sauce for at least two hours and emerge tasty and tender.
“It is a simple recipe, but every Italian family has its own,” she says.
The amount of herbs she includes is more than you would guess.
“My mother, Pauline, would always say ‘If the top of the pot is green, that’s enough herbs,’” Dave says.
In New York, grocery stores prepackage a mixture of ground veal, pork and beef for the meatballs. You can do that or use only hamburger. Cook the onions and garlic on low heat for a long time, as you don’t want a burnt taste. Paula’s family prefers pasta with ridges, such as rigatoni, but you can pair this sauce with any pasta. It freezes well, so she usually makes four cans of tomatoes at a time. Paula also uses the same meatball recipe to form a killer meatloaf. Her glaze is the Sunday sauce.
Sunday Sauce
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano type preferred
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ~ at-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Ingredients for meatballs:
• 1 pound hamburger, substitute beef, veal and pork
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed with 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, substitute Italian-~ avored breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ~ at-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions:
To make sauce: In a large pot, heat oil on low. Add onions and garlic; cover and stir for 10 minutes until onions are tender. Add tomatoes and rinse can with 2 ounces water and add to pot. Add spices, increase heat to medium-low and cover.
In a large bowl, mix meat with garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese and spices. Test by cooking one teaspoon of meat mixture and add seasonings, if desired.
Form into 10 meatballs. Drop gently into the sauce, cover and do not stir for at least 20 minutes to keep the meatballs whole.
Gently stir meatballs in sauce and cook for at least 1 1/2 hours more.
Cook your choice of pasta in salted water. Serve Sunday sauce over pasta with meatballs. Garnish with grated cheese.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Lynette Lo Tom is the author of A Chinese Kitchen, Back in the Day and Yum Yum Cha: Let’s Eat Dim Sum in Hawaii. Send her your old-fashioned recipes to lynette@brightlightcookery.com.
