Italian Feast (Sunday Sauce with Meatballs, Sausages & Pork Chops

By DaraD

This recipe is from BIBA, an Italian restaurant in Sacramento,CA. I don't always make the pork chops, as they tend to come out dry. But the sauce is excellent with the meatballs and sausages. Feeds an army and is always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup EVOO
• 1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1/2 lb Hot Italian Sausage
• 6 Thinly Sliced Pork Chops (about 3 lbs)
• 2 Cups Dry Red Wine
• 2 TBSP Chopped Garlic
• 2 Onions, Diced
• 1 Cup Diced Pancetta
• 1 TBSP Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Gallon Canned Italian Plum Tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Cups Chopped Fresh Basil
• 2 lbs Cooked Meatballs (see recipe)
• 2 lbs Uncooked Rigatoni Pasta

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and sate the sausages and pork chops until brown (about 10 minutes). Don't worry if the meat is not cooked through, because it will finish in the sauce. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Keep pan over medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup of the wine and scraping the bits.

2. In the same pot, add the garli, onions, pancetta & crushed pepper and cook until the onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 2 mins. Add the remaining 1 cup of red wine and cook until the mixture is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour over low heat.

3. Add the basil, sausages, pork chops, and meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 1 more hour over low heat.

4. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, toss with sauce and serve immediately.