Description
A rich and hearty Pot Roast Sunday Sauce served with rigatoni, combining tender slow-roasted beef chuck and spicy Italian sausage meatballs in a robust tomato and red wine sauce, finished with cream, parmesan, and butter for a comforting Italian-inspired meal perfect for Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Sausage
- 1 (2-3 pound) beef chuck roast, cut into 4 chunks
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
Vegetables and Herbs
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Tomato and Wine
- 2 cans (32 ounce) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 whole star anise (optional)
- 2 cups water
- Parmesan rind (optional)
Pasta and Finishing Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare Dutch oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Arrange the beef chuck roast chunks in the bottom of a large, oven-safe Dutch oven, seasoning them with salt and black pepper.
- Make sausage meatballs: Roll the ground spicy Italian sausage into small meatballs and arrange them around the roast in the Dutch oven.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Layer the thinly sliced onions, chopped garlic, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and fresh thyme over the meat. Pour the crushed San Marzano tomatoes over the mixture, add tomato paste, red wine, 2 cups of water, and the star anise if using. Add a parmesan rind if available for extra flavor. Cover the pot with a lid.
- Oven roast: Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven and roast for 3 1/2 to 5 hours until the meat is very tender and falling apart.
- Shred meat and remove aromatics: Once cooked, shred the beef into the sauce using forks. Discard the star anise and bay leaves from the sauce.
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- Combine pasta with sauce and finish: Add the cooked rigatoni back into the Dutch oven with the sauce. Stir in the cream, grated parmesan cheese, and salted butter. Toss gently to combine and melt the cheese and butter into the sauce.
- Serve: Serve the rigatoni topped with generous amounts of grated parmesan and optionally crispy butter-fried herbs for garnish and added flavor. Enjoy your comforting Pot Roast Sunday Sauce and rigatoni!
Notes
- For extra depth of flavor, add a parmesan rind to the sauce while roasting and remove before serving.
- The optional star anise adds a subtle licorice note but can be skipped if unavailable or undesired.
- If you prefer, use mild Italian sausage instead of spicy for less heat.
- Butter-fried herbs like sage or thyme make an excellent crunchy garnish.
- This dish is perfect for making ahead; the sauce tastes even better the next day.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper at the end according to taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pot roast, sunday sauce, rigatoni, Italian sauce, slow roasted beef, tomato sauce, Italian sausage, comfort food
