I have spent a lifetime trying to duplicate the red sauce and meatball recipe my mother, Anne Marie Zappa, cooked every week when I was growing up. I’ll never do it, but this is close. This is a forgiving recipe. Maybe you want to add a couple of chicken thighs, or mix in a few browned hot sausages. Just keep a good ration of pork to beef.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1pound pork spareribs, neck bones or pork chops
- 1pound beef chuck roast, blade steak or brisket
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- ¾cup chopped onions
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 16-ounce can tomato paste
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- 1tablespoon dried basil
- 1teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 ½teaspoons kosher salt
- 1bay leaf
- 128-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably Italian
- 128-ounce can tomato sauce
- ½teaspoon sugar
- 2tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 4small or 2 large pickled peperoncini
- Cooked meatballs
- 1pound dried spaghetti for serving
- Grated Parmesan for serving
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
481 calories; 29 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 108 milligrams cholesterol; 1893 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
6 to 8 servings
Preparation
- Sprinkle salt and pepper all over pork and beef. Place large pot over medium-high heat; when hot, add olive oil and brown meat. (Or cook meat in same pot used for meatballs, browning in the leftover fat.) Remove meat to a platter. Turning heat under pot to medium, add onions, and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes longer. Add tomato paste, and stir: cook until it absorbs fat in pan. Add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and bay leaf, stirring to combine.
- Add cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce, then 4 1/2 cups water. Stir in sugar, parsley and peperoncini. Return meats to pot with their juices. Bring sauce to a gentle boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, partly cover and leave sauce to simmer 21/2 hours or more, stirring regularly.
- About 20 minutes before serving, add meatballs to pot. Boil spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, return spaghetti to pan and add 3 cups sauce. Toss pasta in pan for a minute to coat with sauce, and place on a large platter. Pour 2 more cups sauce over pasta. Place meat and on pasta, slicing large pieces. Serve with bowls of remaining sauce and Parmesan.
3 hours
Dining and Cooking