A Pot of SUNDAY SAUCE
alla BELLINO alla PACINO
“SOME CALL IT GRAVY”
SUNDAY SAUCE
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
SUNDAY SAUCE
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe for Sunday Sauce is a classic Italian-American gravy, featuring a long simmer time and a combination of meats
. His recipe is published in his book, Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook.
About Daniel Bellino’s recipe –
Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe, like others in his cookbook, is based on traditional Italian-American family recipes and food culture.
- It celebrates the tradition of simmering a meat-based tomato sauce for several hours to create a rich flavor.
- An excerpt from his book notes that meat combinations often include sausages, meatballs, and beef braciole, though pork neck and veal shank are also possible additions.
- His book also includes recipes for famous movie-inspired sauces, such as Clemenza’s Sunday Sauce from The Godfather and Sinatra’s Spaghetti & Meatballs.
- Where to find the recipe
- The book: The full recipe is available in his cookbook, Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook. This can be purchased from online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AbeBooks.
- Excerpts: Excerpts and summaries of the recipe’s approach and ingredients can be found on Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s personal website and various food blogs.
- Inspired recipes: Since Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe is a classic version of the Italian-American Sunday Sauce, many similar recipes exist online, often referencing the same key elements, like a long simmer time and a combination of meats.
- General Sunday sauce preparation
- While the specific recipe is proprietary to Bellino-Zwicke’s book, the general method for this type of Sunday sauce, or “gravy,” is widely known. It involves:
Browning a combination of meats, such as Italian sausages, meatballs, and pork.
- Adding aromatics like onion and garlic.
- Combining with tomatoes and other flavorings (such as tomato paste, wine, and herbs).
- Slow-simmering for several hours to allow the flavors to meld and the meats to become tender.
- The final sauce can then be served over pasta, with the cooked meat as a second course.
“MAKING SUNDAY SAUCE”
Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
At UNCLE TONY’S HOUSE
LODI, NEW JERSEY
MORE on SUNDAY SAUCE
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s book,
Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook, doesn’t contain just one single recipe, but rather presents a variety of Sunday sauce traditions reflecting different family customs. The core difference between the recipes is typically the combination of meats used.
Here are the variations of Sunday sauce included in the book, based on Bellino-Zwicke’s writing:
The popular trio: Many families, including the most popular version Bellino-Zwicke describes, make their sauce with a trio of Italian sausages, meatballs, and beef braciole. This is considered a foundational version of the dish.
- A simpler sauce: For some, a simpler version of the sauce is made with just sausages and meatballs. This version is notably featured as Pete Clemenza’s sauce in The Godfather.
- Pork variations: Other families incorporate pork into their sauce. Some versions use pork neck, while Bellino-Zwicke mentions that he sometimes makes his Sunday sauce with sausages, meatballs, and pork ribs.
- Other meat options: The author notes that other meats can be added to the mix. Some families might include chicken thighs or a veal shank.
- “Secret Sauce”: The cookbook also includes a “Secret Sauce,” or Salsa Segreta, recipe. Inspired by the old-school Italian red-sauce joint Gino’s of Lexington Avenue, this version is distinct from the typical meat-heavy Sunday sauce.
“RED SAUCE”
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