Cooking My Nana's Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce with Victoria Cast Iron & the Kiddo!

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: chicken sausage

💰Cheaper: ground turkey

Chicken sausage is lower in fat while ground turkey is more economical.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: Pecorino Romano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and low-calorie; Pecorino is often less expensive.

Make meatballs by mixing together 1/2 pound ground beef, 1/4 pound ground pork, and 1/4 pound ground veal in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 egg, 4 cloves grated garlic, 1/2 grated white onion, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and 6 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese; whisk until combined.

In another bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, 1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, and 1 tablespoon granulated onion.

Combine the wet mixture with the meat mixture, mixing until well combined.

Cover the meatball mixture and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

In a paella pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil and brown the mild Italian sausage until golden brown; remove from the pan.

Lower the heat and add 4 cloves of minced garlic to the pan, cooking until slightly browned.

Add 2 cans of tomato paste (6 oz each) to the pan, mashing it down with the garlic to prevent burning.

Cook the tomato paste until it turns a dark red color, stirring occasionally.

Add water to the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.

Transfer the mixture to a Dutch oven; add 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes, crushing some by hand as you add them.

Stir in 1 tablespoon granulated onion, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper to taste.

Add the browned sausage and its juices to the Dutch oven, along with a peeled half onion for flavor.

Stir everything together and adjust seasoning as needed.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens