Description
This Authentic Italian Gravy recipe combines slow-roasted beef short ribs with rich tomato sauces, aromatic herbs, and flavorful Italian sausage to create a deeply savory and hearty sauce perfect for serving over pasta. Roasting the meat and simmering the sauce for hours allows the flavors to meld beautifully, resulting in a classic Italian comfort dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup red wine plus 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 beef short ribs
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Tomato Base
- 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Meat Addition
- 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and drained
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare roasting pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a roasting pan, combine 1 cup of red wine, extra virgin olive oil, beef short ribs, chopped onion, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, stirring to evenly coat all the ingredients.
- Roast the meat and aromatics: Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast the mixture for 1 hour and 30 minutes, allowing the short ribs to brown and flavors to deepen.
- Transfer and simmer initial sauce: Carefully remove the pan from the oven, transfer the contents to a 6-quart stockpot, and place over medium-low heat. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup red wine and let it simmer for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add tomato ingredients and herbs: Stir in the whole peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beef broth, dried basil, dried oregano, and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well to combine.
- Long simmer and reduce sauce: Let the sauce simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours until it reduces and thickens to a rich consistency.
- Remove ribs and add sausage: Extract the beef short ribs from the sauce. Then stir in the cooked and drained Italian sausage and continue simmering the sauce for another hour to fully integrate the flavors.
- Serve: Serve the authentic Italian gravy hot over 1 pound of your favorite cooked pasta for a comforting and delicious meal.
Notes
- For best flavor, use quality red wine that you enjoy drinking.
- Simmering the sauce for extended hours helps deepen the flavors and develop a rich texture.
- Removing the short ribs after initial simmering allows their meat to infuse the sauce without overcooking.
- Cook the Italian sausage fully before adding to avoid grease in the sauce; drain excess fat if necessary.
- This recipe works well for a crowd and can be refrigerated or frozen for future meals.
