If I could describe myself in a recipe, it would be this Sunday Short Rib Tomato Sauce. It’s more than just a rich, perfectly cooked sauce—this is a recipe that’s been passed down from my Nonna to my mom, and now to me, and it’s the heart of our Sunday gatherings. I am just really, reeeealllly excited for you to make this recipe, and please don’t forget to leave a review once you’ve tried this, because I want to hear from you! Ok – let’s get into the sauce.
Sunday Short Rib Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 1 large heavy bottom pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1½ lb whole beef short ribs, bone in
- 7 cups tomato sauce (passata), I'm using Mutti
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup wine, dry white or dry red
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Season the Ribs: Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels. Season all sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the ribs: In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until deeply golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the ribs and set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, just until softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, just until the garlic becomes fragrant and lightly golden in color.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it deepens in color. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Add the tomato sauce, water, oregano, and salt. Stir well. Return the short ribs to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 5-6 hours until the ribs are fall-apart tender.
- After 5 hours, discard the whole garlic cloves. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the ribs and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the sauce, stir in the fresh basil leaves, and simmer another 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What kind of tomatoes should I buy?
The tomatoes I use for this recipe are Mutti, but honestly, you can choose whatever you find at your grocery store. I recommend a passata, which is a thinner, smooth tomato sauce without chunks. That said, if you prefer a chunkier sauce, you can easily swap in crushed tomatoes as well! Just buy something with very few ingredients.
Can I freeze this short rib tomato sauce?
Yes, you can definitely freeze this recipe. In fact, we do it all the time! We’ll make a large batch, like this one, and then serve it over pasta. After that, we let any leftovers cool, put them in freezer-safe Ziploc bags or containers, and freeze them until we’re ready to enjoy again!
My family loved this!