We have a special Barrington family recipe for you this week as you take down those Halloween decorations while thoughts turn to Thanksgiving. There’s nothing quite like a pot of flavorful homemade pasta sauce simmering on the stove to add warmth to a chilly fall day. And that’s just what’s cooking at the Roeckell house. (I can almost smell it from here!) Barrington’s own food and lifestyle photographer is letting us in on the secret to her “Sunday Sauce” for the latest post in our Heinen’s Sunday Supper series celebrating special meals with family and friends.
Sunday Sauce
by Sally Roeckell, Barrington photographer and creator of TableAndDish.com
During these cool crisp days I love the shift in meal planning. We gravitate toward soups, chili, and sauces and Heinen’s meat and produce departments offers a beautiful selection of farm fresh ingredients for our family’s favorite fall dishes. Sunday Sauce is what some call the red meat sauce that we serve with pasta. Our go-to recipe features short ribs as the main ingredient.
I grew up with ground beef in my meat sauce but this change up has made a new favorite for my gang and I’m sure your family will love it, too. It’s really so simple. Just short ribs cooking slowly all day in my favorite tomato sauce.
I would normally use my iron Le Creuset pot in the oven on a low temp but this time I opted for the crock pot on low all day. I first like to sear the short ribs to give them a nice caramelized exterior. I know it’s an extra step but it really adds to the finished flavor.
This sauce is hearty, yet healthy and wholesome. Today’s is served it with bocatinni (a long thick tube shaped pasta), but my favorite is the wide egg pappardelle pasta from DeLallo Pasta. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese to finish. Oh and, of course, a really good red wine.
Sunday Sauce
Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
4 LBS bone in short ribs
salt + pepper
6 Tbs butter
1/2 cup red wine
2 (28oz) cans of whole peeled tomatoes crushed with your hands
3/4 cup oil packed sundered tomatoes well drained.
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic crushed
2 carrots chopped
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or more if you like it zesty)
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
2-4 TBS parmesan cheese
fresh hot pasta ready to serve.
Directions:
The morning of your supper plans heat a heavy bottom skillet to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ribs to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sear the ribs on all sides about 1 minute per side. Remove ribs and place them in the crock pot bowl.
In the same heavy- bottomed sauce pan that you cooked the ribs, preferably a pan that is lighter in color (to be able to observe the color of the butter so it doesn’t burn) add the butter, melt butter over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk the butter and bits from bottom of the pan and pour over the ribs.
To the crockpot, add the red wine, tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. If you have a parmesan rind on hand, toss it in too. Cover the crock pot and set to low for 7-8 hours. stir once or twice while cooking if possible. After 8 hours remove the short ribs out of the crockpot remove all bones and the cheese rind. Shred meat with 2 forks.
If you like a smoother sauce use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Add the meat, parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. If the sauce seems too thin allow it to cook with the lid off while you make the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta well.
Serve the hot sauce over a hot bead of pasta.
Left overs make great sandwiches, lasagna or as a pizza topper.
Enjoy!
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meathead’s) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
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About the Author
Sally Roeckell is a professional photographer in Barrington and a regular contributor at 365Barrington.com. She’s a mother-of-four who loves to cook and create beautiful photographs of elegant dishes made with simple ingredients. Sally is also the creator of TableAndDish.com, a personal blog highlighting her love for family, food and photography.
You’ll love following Sally’s latest photos on her wildly popular and addicting Instagram page at Instagram.com/tableanddish.
Also specializing in commercial, contemporary lifestyle and portrait photography of children, babies, newborns, maternity and families, you’ll find the range of Sally’s work at SallyRoeckellPhotography.com.
