When I was a little girl Sunday’s were for sauce. Growing up with two Italian parents one of them would always had a pot of sauce simmering for hours every Sunday. My mom would make hers with, meatballs, onions, and so much garlic one would smell of it for days. My dad, would cook his sauce with a mirepoix, (carrots, onion, and celery) garlic, and use meat like veal, and pork to get his unique flavor. Both good. I can still smell the aroma from my childhood.
As the sauce would simmer away in the kitchen, my sister and I would hover over it. Dying for my mother to tell me it was “almost ready” for tasting. When It was I would get a big bowl and scoop it up with bread. It was HEAVEN. Then we would wait another few hours for it to simmer some more before diving in with pasta, and finally getting those meatballs!
Every Sunday, I mean every SUNDAY through every season of the year was like this. In the hottest of Summers Sunday Sauce was always brewing. My parents would take turns cooking it, or even made it together. Now, I try to do the same for my own little family, and here is a quick version for you!
let's go make some SUNDAY SAUCE!
Happy Cooking friends.
*QUICK SUNDAY SAUCE WITH TURKEY HERB MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
12 oz of Bianco Crushed Tomatoes ( or san marzano crushed tomatoes)
1 cup bold red wine (dry)
1 white onion
1 celery stalk
1 finely chopped carrot
1 bay leaf
1 bunch fresh thyme
Crushed red pepper
Diamond kosher salt + Ground Black pepper to taste
1 bottle EVOO on hand
1 bulb of garlic
Herb Turkey Meatballs:
1lb organic dark turkey meat
1 organic pasture raised egg
2 tablespoons organic hemp hearts
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup gluten free rice crumbs or handmade breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
1 large bunch basil
1 bunch fresh mint
Fresh ground pepper
Pasta:
1lb dried gluten free spaghetti noodles ( or traditional spaghetti noodles) Cooked to package directions, tip: don’t forget to salt your pasta water!
Pecorino Romano cheese for topping
DIRECTIONS:
PREP ALL YOUR INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE AND MEATBALLS. We aren’t cooking yet we need to get things measured and in front of us. This is called Mise en place.
Prep the sauce: Open your can of tomatoes. Roughly chop your onion and celery. Finely chop your carrot and thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic. Set aside everything in a bowl except the garlic. Put garlic in another bowl or keep on cutting board. Set everything aside and prep your meatballs.
Prep the turkey herb meatballs: Gently roll a big handful of basil together, and chop it you should get about 2 tablespoons. Chop your mint. Set aside together. Measure out the remaining ingredients for the meatballs. Next, In a large bowl put your ground turkey, lightly chopped basil + chopped mint, 1 tsp garlic powder, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, hemp hearts, egg, 1 tsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. With your hands mix all together until mixture is combined.
Then roll out into medium size balls with your hands. Place on a plate or parchment paper lined tray. Put a large deep skillet on medium heat, once hot add in some olive oil, start cooking your meatballs. About 2-3 min on each side, until they are a slight golden color. Its okay if pink inside. As the meatballs finish cooking, place on a plate lined with a paper towel. This is to catch the excess grease. Do not rinse your skillet keep- all the grease for the sauce.
SAUCE:
In the same heated pan, sauté your carrots onion and celery add salt and pepper. Once translucent in color, add your sliced garlic. Add crushed red pepper flakes ( as many as you can handle, I like a lot) Once the garlic is fragrant, add your can of tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Then the cup of red wine. Simmer on medium high heat until bubbling. Add your meatballs back into the pan, add in full bunches of thyme. Lower your heat to medium low and pop a lid to cook for about 30 min- 1 hour. Stirring occasionally until the sauce has become thick. If it's slightly acidic you can add more wine or salt, be sure to taste as you cook, so you know how much salt and pepper to add in!
Cook your pasta at the 30 min timer has gone off to the package directions.
Once pasta is finished right from the pot place the pasta into the skillet with your meatballs, add in some olive oil ( about 1 tablespoon) fresh basil and pecorino romano cheese. And dish up to enjoy!
