By Leslie Bruni
- Total Time
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(247)
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 4.5 cups
- 3cans (28 ounces each) Italian plum tomatoes
- ½teaspoon oregano
- 1tablespoon minced fresh basil, optional Salt and black pepper
- 1pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
- 1pound (or larger) piece of pork loin, pork butt or pork shoulder
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1large onion, minced
- 1 to 4cloves garlic
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)
358 calories; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 408 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Place a food mill over a Dutch oven or other large deep pan, and pass the tomatoes through until only the seeds remain; or seed the tomatoes, pure in a food processor and pour in the pan. Add 2 cups water, oregano, and basil, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Step
2
Place sausage in a skillet and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, until surface is opaque, about 3 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Return sausage to skillet and place over medium-high heat. Prick sausages all over with a fork to release oil into the pan; cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to the pot of sauce.
Step
3
Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add onion and garlic. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer contents of skillet to the pot of sauce.
Step
4
Simmer the sauce until the pork is tender, 2 to 3 hours. To serve, remove meats and place on a serving platter to pass separately, and use the sauce to dress pasta.
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Cooking Notes
E.S.Jackson
What a find! This is the recipe that our whole neighborhood used, back in the 1950's. For many of the adults it was sheer luxury to have both pork and sausage in the same sauce and they were very proud that they were able to serve it whenever they wanted it, since so many of them had grown up during the Depression and then lived through the WW2 years as teenagers or young adults.
This sauce was rich and delicious then and it's rich and delicious now. Thanks for the memories.
maria
I worked in an authentic Italian restaurant during my college years and always watched the chef and asked questions...they were directly from Italy. The chef always made his sauce with pork ends, ribs in thtomato sauce . I have always made it that way as well,its so rich and yummy. Add e meatballs after simmering the pork for a couple hours and its divine
Linda
My mother always made sauce with pork end or ribs, the fattier the better. I'm proud to say I have followed her recipe for a zillion years (my kids have never tasted jar sauce I don't think). Now adults, in their own homes, they still only make it like their mother and grandmother. (if you're a vegetarian, come to dinner another night) ;-)
Michael
But why not skip the unnecessary pots and steps (boiling sausage) and reverse the order and do your browning of sausage and pork in on pan, then cook the onions in the same, and basically deglaze everything with the tomatoes and/or a little wine prior, and then all the flavor from everything is saved and contained in one pot and one sauce and nothing is wasted or lost.
Andi
This is a great recipe that you can stretch into two different dinners: one meal of braised pork & sausage (which I serve on mashed potatoes), and another meal of incredibly tasty spaghetti sauce.
Mikel Braaten
Hey, just wondering how the pork is cut and at what point in the process. I didn’t grow up with this tradition but would like to make this recipe as the weather gets cooler.
patty smith
When I make the sauce with pork butt, I cut the meat into about 1.5 to inch cubes. I'll then filter the meat from the sauce after it cooks down; I've also added the meat remnants to the sauce with meatballs too, but the Italian guys I know, don't have a lot of hunks of meat in their sauce. The meat is only for flavoring...
patty smith
This is a great basic, starting recipe for Italian tomato sauce. I prepared this sauce EXACTLY as written, but I added ribs in addition to pork butt and sweet Italian sausage after reading some of the comments made by other contributors (Maria and Linda below). Very nice- the pork butt is more fatty than pork loin, and it added some amazing flavor. The ribs were a great addition as well. My only personal recommendation is to consider adding a little more oregano and basil than indicated.
Linda
My mother always made sauce with pork end or ribs, the fattier the better. I'm proud to say I have followed her recipe for a zillion years (my kids have never tasted jar sauce I don't think). Now adults, in their own homes, they still only make it like their mother and grandmother. (if you're a vegetarian, come to dinner another night) ;-)
maria
I worked in an authentic Italian restaurant during my college years and always watched the chef and asked questions...they were directly from Italy. The chef always made his sauce with pork ends, ribs in thtomato sauce . I have always made it that way as well,its so rich and yummy. Add e meatballs after simmering the pork for a couple hours and its divine
Margaret
This is my go-to pasta sauce now. Serving meat separately is a nice option for those who prefer more or less meat. Have also substituted turkey Italian-seasoned sausage.
E.S.Jackson
What a find! This is the recipe that our whole neighborhood used, back in the 1950's. For many of the adults it was sheer luxury to have both pork and sausage in the same sauce and they were very proud that they were able to serve it whenever they wanted it, since so many of them had grown up during the Depression and then lived through the WW2 years as teenagers or young adults.
This sauce was rich and delicious then and it's rich and delicious now. Thanks for the memories.
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