Make a family feast with this dish that has it all: pasta in a wonderful sauce, meatballs, sausages and pork chops. There is something yummy for everyone in this great dish.
Meatballs:
2 slices white bread
1/2 c. milk
2 lb. ground beef or combination of ground beef, veal and pork
1 c. finely chopped onions
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
4 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 T. chopped garlic
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c. cold water, if needed
3 T. olive oil
Sunday Sauce (Gravy) with Meatballs, Sausages and Pork Chops
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. mild sausage
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
6 thinly sliced pork chops (about 3 lb.)
2 c. dry red wine
2 T. chopped garlic
2 onions, diced
1 c. diced pancetta
1 T. crushed red pepper
1 gallon canned Italian plum tomatoes, undrained (San Marzano are best)
2 c. chopped fresh basil
2 lb. cooked meatballs (above)
2 lb. uncooked rigatoni pasta or other large tube pasta
Meatballs:
In a bowl, soak the bread in the milk. In a medium bowl, mix ground beef, bread and milk, onions, parsley, eggs, cheese and garlic; add salt and pepper. If the mixture is dry, add ½ c. cold water and mix well. Form the mixture into about 12 meatballs.
Place meatballs and olive oil in a skillet; fry on medium to high heat until brown, 10 - 15 minutes, turning them regularly. Drain the meatballs on paper towels.
Make the Sunday Sauce with Meatballs, Sausages and Pork Chops:
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and saute the sausages and pork chops until brown, about 10 minutes.Meat will not be cooked through, it will finish in the sauce. Remove the meat from the pan; set aside. Keep pan over medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 c. wine and scraping up the bits.
In the same pot, add garlic, onions, pancetta and crushed pepper; cook until onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 c. red wine; cook until mixture is reduced by half. Add tomatoes; simmer 1 hour over low heat.
Add basil, sausages, pork chops and meatballs to the tomato sauce, and simmer for 1 hour over low heat.
In a large pot of boiling well salted water, cook pasta 10 - 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss it with the Sunday Sauce (Gravy), and serve immediately. Garnish with more grated cheese, if desired.
Serves 8-10.