The first time I smelled my neighbor’s Italian gravy simmering for hours, I knew I was missing something essential in my kitchen. This old style Italian gravy recipe transforms simple tomatoes into something deeply rich and complex, the kind of sauce that makes your whole house smell like Sunday dinner. After four hours of gentle bubbling, the beef short ribs become fall-apart tender while the tomatoes develop that concentrated, almost wine-like depth that only comes from patience and proper technique.
Table of contents
Old Style Italian Gravy Recipe
Traditional 4-hour Italian gravy with tender short ribs, pork ribs, and sausage in rich tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (Contadina preferred)
- 1 - 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 - 15 oz can tomato puree
- 1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
- 4 medium to large beef short ribs
- 4 medium pork ribs
- 6 hot or mild Italian sausages
- 6 large garlic cloves, sliced very thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/8 cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil for browning
Instructions
- Add crushed tomatoes to a large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Blend whole peeled tomatoes until smooth and add to pot.
- Stir in tomato puree, parsley, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
- Heat over medium flame until bubbling, then reduce to low simmer.
- In separate pan, brown short ribs, pork ribs, and sausages thoroughly.
- Add browned meats to simmering gravy.
- Sauté sliced garlic in olive oil until lightly golden, add to gravy.
- Fry tomato paste in same pan for 5-7 minutes, then stir into gravy.
- Cover pot leaving small opening for steam to escape.
- Simmer on lowest heat for 4 hours, stirring every 10 minutes.
Notes
- Use the heaviest pot you have to prevent scorching during the long simmer.
- Leftover gravy freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
- Add prepared meatballs during the last 30 minutes if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 495mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 7gSugar: 17gProtein: 14g
Nutrition info is meant as a rough guide. Brand choices, portion size, and swaps can shift the numbers, so double-check if exact values matter to you. See our full disclaimer at victoriarecipes.com/disclaimer for more details.
What You’ll Need
This recipe calls for a generous amount of tomatoes in different forms – each one serves a specific purpose in building that complex flavor. Here’s everything you need to create this old style Italian gravy:
- 2 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (Contadina is my preferred brand)
- 1 – 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (you’ll blend these)
- 1 – 15 oz can tomato puree
- 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
- 4 medium to large beef short ribs
- 4 medium pork ribs
- 6 hot or mild Italian sausages
- 6 large garlic cloves, sliced very thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/8 cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil for browning
- Large heavy-bottomed pot (essential for even cooking)
- Separate frying pan for browning meats
Detailed Cooking Instructions
Time needed: 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Traditional Italian gravy with tender meats simmered in rich tomato sauce for 4 hours.
- Prepare tomato base
Add crushed tomatoes to large pot. Blend whole peeled tomatoes until smooth and add to pot along with tomato puree, fresh herbs, and black pepper.
- Start the simmer
Heat mixture over medium flame until it begins to bubble, then immediately reduce to lowest simmer setting.
- Brown the meats
In separate frying pan, brown short ribs, pork ribs, and sausages thoroughly on all sides. Add each to simmering gravy as finished.
- Add aromatics
Sauté sliced garlic in olive oil until lightly golden, then add to gravy. Fry tomato paste in same pan for 5-7 minutes until darkened, then stir into gravy.
- Long simmer
Cover pot leaving small opening for steam to escape. Simmer on lowest heat for 4 hours, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking.
Tips & Tricks
- Use the heaviest pot you own to prevent scorching during the long simmer – a thin-bottomed pot will burn the bottom layer no matter how low your heat.
- Frying the tomato paste before adding it to the gravy concentrates its flavor and removes any metallic taste, creating deeper umami notes throughout the sauce.
- For make ahead convenience, you can brown all the meats and prep the tomato base the day before, then combine and simmer the next day.
- When reheating leftover gravy from the freezer, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then simmer gently for 1 hour to restore the proper consistency.
- The gravy is ready when a wooden spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a temporary trail – this indicates it has reached the perfect thickness.
You Might Also Like
These recipes pair beautifully with this rich Italian gravy and will help you create complete Italian-inspired meals.
Try serving the gravy over pasta with a simple Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio) on the side, or explore other comfort food favorites like my Creamy Smothered Chicken and Rice Recipe for weeknight variety.
For more tomato-based inspirations, my Delicious Tomato Pasta Recipe uses similar flavor principles, while the Stuffed Tortellini Slow Cooker Dinner offers another long-simmered option that’s perfect for busy days.
If you love the Italian flavors in this gravy, definitely try my Easy Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe – it shares that same rustic, home-cooked soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret isn’t really an ingredient – it’s frying the tomato paste before adding it to the sauce, which concentrates the flavor and eliminates any metallic taste. Additionally, the long 4-hour simmer allows all the flavors to marry completely.
Italian gravy typically contains meat and simmers for hours, developing deeper flavors and richness. Italian sauce is usually lighter, quicker-cooking, and may or may not contain meat – gravy is specifically the meat-enriched version.
Yes, this old style recipe intentionally omits onions to let the tomato and meat flavors shine through completely. The garlic provides the aromatic base while keeping the focus on the long-simmered tomato essence.
Frying tomato paste removes any metallic taste from the can and concentrates the tomato flavor through caramelization. This step creates deeper, richer umami notes that distribute throughout the entire gravy during the long simmer.
Thick pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne, or ziti work beautifully because they hold the rich gravy in their ridges. For special occasions, try it over fresh pappardelle or gnocchi for an incredibly satisfying meal.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Add meatballs: Prepare your favorite meatball recipe and add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking for the classic gravy and meatballs combination.
- Spicy version: Include 1-2 dried red chili peppers or red pepper flakes with the herbs for a gentle heat that builds throughout the long simmer.
- Wine enhancement: Deglaze the meat browning pan with 1/2 cup red wine before adding the tomato paste for deeper complexity.
- Vegetable addition: Thinly sliced carrots added with the meats will break down during cooking, adding natural sweetness and nutrition.
- Herb variation: Try adding a few fresh bay leaves during the simmer and remove before serving for an earthy, aromatic depth.
Dietary Notes
| Diet | Friendly? | Adjustments |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-Free | Yes | Naturally gluten-free as written |
| Dairy-Free | Yes | No dairy ingredients used |
| Vegan | No | Remove all meats, add mushrooms and extra vegetables |
| Keto | Yes | Serve over zucchini noodles instead of pasta |
| Nut-Free | Yes | No nuts in recipe |
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Fridge: Keeps 4-5 days in sealed containers – the flavors actually improve after a day or two as everything melds together.
- Freezer: Freeze up to 3 months in portion-sized containers; leave 1-inch headspace for expansion and prevents freezer burn.
- Thawing: Thaw overnight in refrigerator for best texture – don’t rush it at room temperature as the meat quality suffers.
- Reheat: Simmer gently for 1 hour on low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and proper consistency returns.
- Make-ahead tip: This gravy is perfect for Sunday meal prep – portion into family-sized containers and you have dinner ready all week.
Save This Recipe for Later
This old style Italian gravy is the kind of recipe you’ll want to make again and again. Save it to your recipe collection or share it with someone who appreciates the magic of slow-simmered comfort food!
