Pressure Cooker Sunday Gravy, Italian Ragu Sauce over Pasta

Being a native Californian, with a combination of German and Mexico roots, I'd never heard of-- yet along-- tasted "Sunday Gravy". From my research, I've learned it's an Italian-American dish. The "gravy" is more of a ragu and is served with various meats. There are many variations of this recipe, to be found in so many Nonna's kitchens. Braciole, (a pounded out piece of beef, that is stuffed with ingredients like raisins, pine nuts, cheese and prosciutto) is a traditional meat ingredient for Sunday Gravy. It's also a lot of work to make, so America's Test Kitchen came up with a recipe that is easier to make, without sacrificing flavor. Instead of simmering the sauce for hours, on the stove, ATK has converted their recipe version to slow cook in the oven-- which requires less stirring and maintenance. I took this one step further, and used my electric pressure cooker. I was able to cook the Sunday Gravy in less than an hour, instead of three hours! Preparing Sunday Gravy does involve about an hour of prep work, no matter which process you use. The end result is worth the effort, especially if you love pasta as much as we do. I will provide directions for stovetop cooking, in case you don't own a pressure cooker (and you should, as I use mine often with great results). Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen Season 10. (Click on the recipe source to see how I made this, on my food blog "A Feast for the Eyes.)

The "gravy" is more of a ragu and is served with various meats.