Crockpot Sunday Sauce
This crockpot sunday sauce is a slow-simmered Italian-American tomato sauce with meatballs, sausage, and pork ribs that cooks all day until the meat falls apart. The slow cooker holds the gentle bubble that a stovetop pot needs constant watching to keep, so the sauce gets deep and sweet with almost no stirring.
10
servings40
minutes8
hoursBrowned sausage, pork ribs, and meatballs simmer in crushed tomatoes with garlic and herbs. The sauce turns thick and sweet, and the meat becomes tender.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Italian sausage links, sweet or hot
1 1/2 lb bone-in country-style pork ribs
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine, or beef broth
2 cans (28 oz each) crushed San Marzano style tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 small bunch fresh basil
1 lb rigatoni, cooked, for serving
Directions
- Mix the ground beef with the breadcrumbs, egg, Pecorino, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Roll into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, about 16 in all.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides in batches, 5 to 6 minutes each, and move them to a plate.
- Brown the sausage links and the pork ribs in the same pan, 4 to 5 minutes per side, then set aside.
- Add the remaining oil and the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes until the paste darkens.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes, then scrape everything into a 7-quart slow cooker.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Nestle the ribs and sausage into the sauce, then add the meatballs on top. Tuck in half of the basil.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The ribs should be tender and the meatballs firm at 160°F.
- Remove the meat to a platter. Skim the fat from the sauce, remove the basil stems, and taste for salt.
- Serve the sauce over rigatoni with the meat on the side, topped with fresh basil and Pecorino.
Notes
- San Marzano style tomatoes give a sweeter sauce. Add a parmesan rind to the pot for extra depth. The sauce freezes well for 3 months, with or without the meat. Leftover sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
Why sunday sauce belongs in the slow cooker
Sunday sauce is not a quick sauce. It is a pot of tomatoes that sits with meat for hours until everything melts together. Traditionally it simmers on the back burner while the family is at church or cooking other dishes, and a slow cooker is exactly that back burner, with a lid and no scorching.
The meat does the real work. Pork ribs add body and sweetness from the bone, sausage adds fennel and fat, and meatballs add a mild, beefy taste. Over eight hours each of them gives up flavor to the sauce and takes some back, so the finished pot tastes layered, not like tomato sauce with meat dropped in.
The other advantage is texture. Cooked slowly in a closed pot, the sauce stays thick without reducing too far, and the meat stays moist instead of drying along the edges of a wide pan.
Choosing the meat and tomatoes
Italian sausage: Pick fresh links with fennel. Sweet is classic, and hot gives a little kick that the tomatoes round out.
Country-style pork ribs: These are meaty and have a bone for flavor. They turn tender enough to shred by the end of the cook.
Ground beef for meatballs: Use 80 percent lean. Leaner beef makes dry meatballs, and the sauce will take care of extra fat.
Crushed tomatoes: Choose a good brand packed in juice, not puree. Look for tomatoes from a reliable, sweet variety, which means less sugar added.
Tomato paste: Cook it in the pan until it darkens to a brick red. This step removes the raw, tinny taste and adds sweetness.
Red wine: A dry red adds acidity and depth. Beef broth is a fair stand-in if you prefer no alcohol.
Tips for a deep, sweet sauce
Brown everything: The most common mistake is putting raw meat straight into the pot. Browning adds a deep, caramelized flavor that cannot be made any other way, and it takes about 20 minutes in total.
Cook the paste: Stirring the tomato paste with the onion for two minutes turns it brick red and sweet. Skipping it leaves the sauce tasting sharp.
Skim before serving: Sausage and pork release a lot of fat. Skim it off the top with a wide spoon, or chill the sauce and lift the solid fat from the surface the next day.
Keep the lid on: Every peek adds time. Open it only to check at the end, so the sauce keeps a steady, gentle heat.
Swaps and variations
Use beef short ribs or a chuck roast in place of the pork ribs, for a deeper, beefier pot. Add a parmesan rind for rich depth, and take it out before serving. A carrot grated into the sauce adds natural sweetness. For a lighter version, use turkey sausage and turkey meatballs.
Do not add dried pasta to the slow cooker. The sauce is too thick, and the pasta turns soft and gluey, so cook it separately.
What to serve with it
Serve the sauce over rigatoni, ziti, or spaghetti, and put the meat on a platter for the table to share. Add garlic bread, a bitter greens salad with a sharp vinaigrette, and a bowl of grated Pecorino. Some families serve the pasta first and the meat as a second course.
Storing and freezing
Cool the sauce and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The flavor deepens, so it is often better the next day.
Freeze the sauce in quart containers for up to 3 months, with or without the meat. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat slowly on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Crockpot Sunday Sauce at a glance
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cooking time: 8 hours
- Servings: 10 servings
- Ingredients: 18, led by Italian sausage links, bone-in country-style pork ribs, ground beef, plain breadcrumbs
Tips for Crockpot Sunday Sauce
San Marzano style tomatoes give a sweeter sauce. Add a parmesan rind to the pot for extra depth. The sauce freezes well for 3 months, with or without the meat. Leftover sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
Crockpot Sunday Sauce FAQ
How long does Crockpot Sunday Sauce take?
Crockpot Sunday Sauce takes 8 hours of cooking after 40 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Sunday Sauce serve?
This recipe makes 10 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Sunday Sauce?
18 ingredients, led by Italian sausage links, bone-in country-style pork ribs, ground beef, plain breadcrumbs. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
