Italian Meat Sauce with Country Ribs is one of life's simplest and greatest pleasures! Whether you call it "Sunday sauce" or "Sunday gravy," you need to make this family recipe!
Did you ever taste something so delicious, you assumed it would be complicated to make?
I could see that happening with this sauce. But I'm here to report it isn't difficult at all.
It takes just 15 minutes of prep and some simmering over low heat for about 2 hours and 45 minutes. It's definitely more of a time commitment than Homemade Marinara Sauce, but this meat sauce is mostly hands off.
It's perfect for a leisurely Sunday afternoon at home. And, on that day, if we could step inside Italian kitchens around the globe, we'd likely be greeted many times by its comforting, intoxicating aroma.
It's so familiar to me and takes me back to my childhood. This Sunday sauce is one of life's simplest and greatest pleasures. It's right up there with Authentic Italian Beef Meatballs and sauce.
And, if you live in New England, you might call it "Sunday gravy." But we're not here to argue about the name -- we're here to mangia!
Ingredients
Country-style ribs are the meatiest pork ribs you can buy. You'll need four pounds of them, with bones, for this sauce. The "bones" are actually part of the shoulder blade.
Recipe tips
- Use bone-in, country-style pork ribs, which will provide better flavor than boneless.
- Sear the meat over high heat before adding it to the sauce. This also brings flavor.
- Let the ribs cook in the tomato sauce until they're fork-tender. If you test them and they seem tough, let them cook longer.
It's perfectly okay — rather mandatory even — to verify the ribs are done by transferring one to a small dish and eating it right there while standing at the stove. It's a special privilege for the cook, and no one else needs to know.
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
I don't recommend it. I tried it once, and the Crock-Pot overflowed, due to the large volume of ingredients.
Plus, the slow cooker's steaming effect produced extra liquid in the sauce, so it came out too runny. The ribs also gave off fat during cooking, increasing the volume.
So, stick with cooking the sauce on the stove.
What to serve with it
The obvious choice is pasta. We stir the sauce into rigatoni for the first course (primo piatto), and then eat the ribs as the second course.
You also could ladle this meat sauce over pasta al forno, lasagna or homemade manicotti.
And, since you're making a big pot (affiliate link) of it, you can use the leftovers over farro, on pizza, and with Italian bread that's been dipped in it and topped with Parmesan.
Yum!!!
Enjoy!
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Adapted from my Mom, who learned to make this from Nonna. Originally published on February 25, 2015 and updated now with new photos and text.)
Italian Meat Sauce with Country Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
- 4 pounds pork country ribs (bone-in)
- ½ large sweet onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves
- pasta (for serving)
Instructions
- In an extra-large skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil on high and brown the ribs in it on all sides, for about 15 minutes. (If all the ribs won't fit in your pan, you might want to use two skillets, with a tablespoon of oil in each.)
- While the ribs are browning, peel the half onion and chop it. In a large (8-quart) pot, heat two tablespoons of oil on medium high heat and add the onions. While they are cooking (stir them occasionally), peel and chop your garlic. When the onions are just about tender, stir in the garlic to the pot with the onions.
- Transfer the browned ribs to the pot, along with some of the oil from the skillet. Add your cans of tomatoes. Use a potato masher to gently smash the whole tomatoes.
- Stir in the salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. When the pot comes to a boil, put the heat on low to let it simmer gently. Prop a lid over the pot, using a wooden spoon resting on the edge of the pot to keep the lid open just a bit. Let the sauce cook for at least 2 ½ hours, stirring it occasionally to prevent sticking. (Wait at least an hour into the process before tasting the sauce, so you're not consuming raw meat.)
- The sauce needs to cook until the ribs are fork tender. This may take around 2 hours and 45 minutes. When the ribs are almost tender, place a pasta pot with salted water on to boil and cook your pasta so that it should be ready for when the sauce is done. When you can easily insert and remove a fork from the meat, your meat and sauce are done. Stir in the fresh basil, and taste to see if the sauce and meat are to your liking.
- Serve the sauce spooned over pasta, and keep the ribs covered at the table so they can be eaten as a second dish. Or, each person can add a rib to his or her pasta, if desired. The sauce also can be used on pizza.
- Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze it.
Karen
Why no oregano? My grandma and mother’s sauce had basil-oregano and basil. Is this just your personal preference? Otherwise it’s identical❤️. Is this just a personal preference?
Mamma C
Hi Karen - Good question! I don't like oregano at all. My Mom is from Naples, and my in-laws are from Calabria, and no one in my family puts oregano in their sauce. If you love it, go for it!
Alex
We make this with added fennel seeds and honey. It’s delicious. Takes me back to my Italian childhood. The aniseed fennel and sweet honey just give it extra ooomf.
Mamma C
Hi Alex - Oh, that sounds like an interesting twist!
Jack Riggs
The best 5 star eats!!
Mamma C
Hi Jack - I love hearing that! I'm so glad you love this meat sauce. Thank you!
Ken Seng
I am anxious to try this recipe. When my mother and dad moved into their first home they had an Italian neighbor ("Mrs Rosario") who would come over and teach my mom how to cook. One of her lessons to Mom was what I assume was a recipe similar to this and home made Ravioli. It was my favorite and because of the work it took to make the Raviloli she would only make it a couple of times a year. Somehow I got the Ravioli recipe before she passed but not the ribs in Sauce. Now I can try for the complete recipe. Thank you.
Mamma C
Hi Ken - I hope you love this sauce as much as we do! I'm so glad you'll be able to serve it with the homemade ravioli, as you remember.
JC in Sunset Beach, Fl
Thank you for posting this recipe. It brings back memories of my Aunt's sauce in upstate NY. She was married into an Italian family full of recipes such as this. However her recipe used spare ribs. Sadly she passed away. She passed the recipe to her daughter / my cousin...but the cousin has never relinquished. What a shame to hoard a recipe...right?
So tomorrow...I will make YOUR recipe and think of that wonderful time as a child at my Aunt's home...treasuring that sauce and the ribs.
Mamma C
The aroma of this sauce brings me back to my childhood, and I love that just the idea of it brings back memories for you, JC. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
Roz @ La Bella Vita Cucina
What a BEE-UU-TI-FUL sauce Andrea! I can imagine how delicious it is with the seared, fork-tender pork! BTW, PORK rules in my family! Pinning!
Roz
Mamma C
Thanks, Roz! This is one of our favorite sauces.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
The color of this sauce is beautiful! So bright and pretty 🙂
Mamma C
Thanks, Medha. It tastes as good as it looks!
Annie @ ciaochowbambina
I know first hand how meltingly good pork in sauce is! I also know what a privilege it is to stand at the stove, small plate in hand, and test our goods before sharing. I've eaten way too many meatballs this way! Thanks for sharing!!
Mamma C
Haha, Annie! I think any meat cooked in the sauce tastes better when eaten right out of the pot. 🙂