“Sunday Sauce” is a catch-all name for an Italian tomato-based sauce, typically served over pasta. It almost always includes three meats: sausage, meatballs, and braciole, rolled up “packets” of meat stuffed with filling. Most fillings include bread crumbs, and many include raisins. So I set out to develop a lower-carb version, with a cheese-based filling. I also use an egg and Parmesan cheese to hold the meatballs together, without breadcrumbs. While you certainly could ladle this over pasta, that would defeat the low-carb purpose, so I consider it a “Sunday Stew”, dense and meaty and meant to eat on its own. Or you could serve it over spaghetti squash if you prefer. I hope you like it.

Low-Carb Sunday Stew

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 8 hours

Servings 12

Author Leslie Carbone

Ingredients

1 stick butter, unsalted
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, cut into 1" pieces, casings removed
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1" pieces, casings removed
1 lb ground beef not lean
2 lb flank steak, sliced thin and pounded to 1/4" thickness, and cut into 12 rectangles
1/2 bottle dry red wine, divided
1 egg
3/4 c Parmesan, freshly grated, divided, plus more for serving
1/2 c mozzarella pearls
1 c ricotta
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced, divided
2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
3 tbsp fresh oregano, divided
1 tbsp dried oregano, freshly ground
approx. 2 doz. leaves fresh basil, torn in bits
3 tbsp olive oil
6 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
water
1 sm. yellow onion, diced, divided
1/4 c carrot shavings
S/P to taste

Instructions

Start stew.

Melt butter over low heat in lg. pot. Add sausage. Pour 1/4 c. red wine over sausage. Cover and let cook, turning occastionally.

Make meatballs.

Place ground beef in med. bowl. Break apart with clean hands. Add egg and 1/4 c. Parmesan and 1 tsp. oregano and gently work through. Do not overwork. Make golfball-size meatballs by taking sm. amount of meat mixture and gently tossing from hand to hand.
Add meatballs to pot. Gently bring sausage over meatballs with wooden spoon. Turn occasionally, careful not to break apart meatballs as they brown.

Make braciole.

Make filling. In lg. bowl, combine ricotta and remaining Parmesan. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves, Italian parsley, and remaining oregano. Fold in mozzarella pearls.
Season steak with salt, pepper, and dried oregano on both sides. One by one, starting at short end, spread cheese mixture over 1/3 of ea. steak piece. Starting at filling end, roll up steak. Secure with butcher's twine. Tuck in ends.
Heat olive oil over med-high heat in lg. skillet. Using tongs, place each braciole seam-down in skillet. Cover. Cook until brown, approx. 6 min. Remove from heat and let cool enough to handle. Remove twine.

Finish stew.

Using tongs, gently add braciole to pot. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot shavings, and 1/2 of diced onion. Add 1/2 c. red wine. Season with salt. Cook at least four hours; six is better. Stir occasionally. If boiling down too much, reduce heat and add 1/2 c. water. Add more wine to taste.
One hour before serving, add basil and remaining onion, garlic, and fresh oregano. S/P to taste.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan, as desired.

Leslie Carbone

I fell in love with travel on a trip to Mexico when I was nine years old. Since then, I’ve travelled the globe from Israel to El Salvador. I’ve skied the Swiss Alps and hiked national parks like Acadia, Zion, Shenandoah, and Virgin Islands. I’ve marvelled at masterpieces in the Prado, the Uffizi, the Huntington, and the National Gallery of Art. I’ve stayed in a cabin on a mountaintop in Norway and on a kibbutz along the Sea of Galilee, and been kicked out of the Ritz at the Place Vendôme. I’ve taken cooking classes from New England to the Caribbean, and watched a chef prepare traditional shakshuka in the kitchen of his restaurant in Tel Aviv. I weave historical research and my personal experiences together in writing this blog. I hope you find it helpful. Read more …