Sunday Italian Gravy (Tomato Sauce)

This Sunday Sauce is more than just a recipe for our family—it’s a way to bring everyone together at the table. The process of making the sauce is just as meaningful as enjoying it. The aroma it creates fills our home with warmth and nostalgia.

Unlike a Quick Marinara Sauce, Italian Sunday gravy is deeply layered with flavor, with the addition of beef bones and stock, and simmered for hours to create a velvety, rich texture.

Whether you're new to making Sunday sauce, or looking for a different recipe, I will guide you through every step to achieve the best Italian Gravy yet!

🤔 What is Italian Red Gravy

• Sunday Gravy or Red Gravy is an Italian-American sauce made with meat bones, just meat, or both to add layers of flavor to create a rich tomato sauce.
• The difference between Sunday Gravy and Marinara is that Red Gravy is made with meat and cooked for an extended time. On the other hand, marinara is quickly made without meat and has a light and fresh flavor. 
• Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce, also known as 'sugo,' is also cooked longer to develop flavor, but typically doesn’t contain meat. This is different from canned “tomato sauce” in the grocery store.

🍅 Ingredients to Make Italian Sunday Sauce

If there is one thing I learned in school, a great sauce is made by layering flavors, from the beginning. If you start with good-quality ingredients, the end product will be that much better.

• Tomatoes - I prefer using equal parts of whole peeled, tomato puree, and crushed tomatoes for the best texture and flavor. If you can get your hands on San Marzano tomatoes, they are sweeter, less acidic, and perfect for sauce. Note: Authentic San Marzano tomatoes are only available in the whole peeled variety, so be on the lookout at the store. If you'd like to learn more about finding authentic varieties, check out my guide on San Marzano Tomatoes.
• Meat - I prefer marrow bones for a rich sauce, but you can also use sausage, short ribs, or leftover steak trimmings for a meatier flavor.
• Herbs - I used a combo of dried parsley, oregano, and basil which are added at the beginning and toasted so they start to release their flavor from the beginning. If you have fresh herbs you want to use, I recommend adding them towards the end of cooking instead since they don’t need as much time to release their flavor. 

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make the Best Homemade Italian Sunday Gravy

First, brown the marrow bones in a large pot, then add the onions and saute for a few minutes to soften them.

Add the garlic, dried herbs, and tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes until the tomato paste melts into the other ingredients.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape the bottom to remove any stuck-on flavorful bits. 

Add the beef stock, whole peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato puree. Stir everything well and then let the sauce simmer over low heat. It should just bubble on the surface, but not too vigorously. (You can add a rind of parmesan or pecorino romano cheese too!)

Let the sauce simmer for at least 2-4 hours, or longer! The longer it simmers, the more it thickens, and the flavors condense. I usually start my sauce first thing in the morning and let it go all day. (Don't forget to stir it every hour to prevent burning.)

After the sauce is simmered, taste it for seasoning and remove the marrow bones. You can use an immersion blender to blend the sauce to your desired consistency or leave it as is.

🥡 How to Store Italian-American Tomato Sauce Gravy 

After making the sauce, cool it completely before storing it. I transfer it to large bowls in the refrigerator and then into quart freezer bags. If you want to refrigerate some, it will last 3-5 days in an airtight container.

Pro Tip: To make storage easier, lay the filled quart bags flat on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen, they can be stored more efficiently in the freezer. The sauce will last for 3-6 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then warm on the stovetop over low heat.

🍽️ Uses for Sunday Sauce

This Italian Gravy is best for heartier dishes, but I’ve used it on everything from pasta to pizza! Here are some of my favorite dishes to use it in: 

• Italian Braised Beef Braciole - Tender, flavorful stuffed beef rolls simmered in this rich sauce—perfect for a cozy meal.
• Classic Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese - Layers of pasta, ricotta, and this savory Sunday sauce for the ultimate comfort food.
• Baked Mostaccioli with Italian Sausage - Pasta and sausage baked in Sunday sauce, topped with melted cheese.
• Crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan - Crispy, golden-brown eggplant layered with this sauce and melted mozzarella.
• Italian-Style Meatloaf Recipe - A hearty, flavorful meatloaf made with Italian herbs and Sunday Gravy.