Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce, is a great way to get maximum tenderness and immense flavors for a dish I know will be a family favorite. Come with me in the kitchen today, I am sharing a childhood memory and a favorite of mine, more so, I have a few surprises to make this dish extra tasty! Welcome!
Song of the day: "Oh Yeah" by Yello.
From memories to a delicious dish!
Sundays were always a special time in our families. I was usually an early riser even though Saturday nights late, and filled with entertaining and socializing! To this day I can still remember the aroma of sauce simmering nice and slow in the kitchen. My parents would be up early preparing for the elaborate Sunday lunch which my nonna would always come to.
My brother was a late sleeper. I was the first to the front lines of our Italian kitchen. For me, I could never resist taking the lid off the sauce pot and taking a deep breath in to inhale that lovely aroma. Those homegrown tomatoes, and more so, all that lovely meat simmering with it.
I don't know if any of you have had sauce sandwiches, but it is the most beautiful thing in the world. I would grab the wooden spoon and get right to the bottom of the pot where this rich pulp was sitting, and scoop some on a lovely slice of Pagnotta bread. Then I would sit and slowly bite in with my eyes closed, and feel the textures and flavors of this truly delicious Italian staple. Needless to say, when that sauce was ready, maybe some of the ribs or sausage may have gone missing. It was always a mystery where they went, however, I think the tomato stains on the corner of mine and my brother's mouths, told the story very well. Those were the days and today I am sharing my take on my childhood favorite Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce!
Key Ingredients to make Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce!
The base for this dish is the meat. However, more than that, we need a good sauce to tenderize and flavor that base. Here are some of the ingredients I used:
- Baby back ribs
- Italian sausage
- San Marzano tomatoes
- Red wine
- Garlic, basil
I did find some amazing roasted red tomatoes at our local organic market, that I was super excited about. You see, roasting tomatoes is a great way to get those natural sugars and flavors intensified, plus a little char which adds an interesting element to the profile. Perfect for my Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce.
A sizzling pot of goodness!
I first started by sautéing the ribs and sausage with garlic, olive oil, red chili flakes, and the onion, however I put the onion in after the meat has cooked a bit. I always season a this point. A little salt and pepper goes a long way. When the sausages and ribs have some nice color from the caramelization, I add in the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, plus the roasted tomatoes that I pureed. Talk about deep rich flavors. I transfer this to a crock pot with a sprig or two of rosemary. For good measure I add in some red wine, you know, to kick it up a few notches.
Place it into a 350° F for about 35-40 minutes on the middle rack. Then I turn the oven down to 275° F and let that cook for another hour. This is really going to build lots of flavor and those ribs and sausages will be super tender!
Nothing but amazing aroma in this Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce!
Talk about mouthwatering. This dish has such a lovely sweet, herbaceous aroma. I want to just dip some good Italian crusty bread right into it. Only one thing you have to do before serving is to get a spoon and skim off any excess oil from the top of the sauce. Slow braising the meat like this releases some of that fat. Once that is done, a little sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley, and you are so ready to serve this wonderfully tasting dish!
It's time to eat. Tutti a tavola a mangiare!
Take a look at these ribs and sausages. I love the rich color, and by the way my fork could not stay into the meat, tells me this is going to be a very tender moment!
I really do love cooking, however when it comes to this Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce, muscle memory takes over and I am just digging right in! Don't you just love biting into a baby back rib and the meat just falls off the bone, then it melts in your mouth like butter! That is what is happening right now. Plus the rich flavor of that sauce is lingering with beautiful notes of rosemary and deep red wine. The sausage, tender, succulent and so flavorful, perfect with this rustic crusty bread, which absorbs the sauce wonderfully.
No sauce wasted here!
There was plenty of sauce leftover and we would not want that to go to waste. The next day we used it in a Fettucce pasta dish, and I have to tell you, it was absolutely incredible. Talk about an elevated ragu sauce! Yummy!
This Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce is an incredible meal, similarly it makes for a very tasty pasta sauce. What more could you ask for. Give it a try, because, I know you will be delighted with the flavors and textures!
Check out some of our other tasty Italian meat dishes:
- Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Carrots,
- Panino Salsiccia e Peperoni alla Brace, Grilled Sausage and Pepper Panini
- Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich)
Happy cooking!
Print
Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato Sauce
Slow Braised Ribs and Sausages in Roasted Tomato sauce, a delectable mouthwatering dish that just defines loving tenderness and rich flavor! Slow cooking at its best with maximum results! Try it, you are going to love it!
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 people 1x
Ingredients
Meat:
- 1 lb (500 g) of baby back ribs individually cut
- 4 Italian mild sausages cut into bite size pieces
Sauce:
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes pureed
- 1 Tbsp evo oil
- 2 cloves garlic whole
- 2 cipollini onions minced
- Pinch of red chili flakes
- 255 g roasted tomatoes pureed
- 1 sprig rosemary rosemary
- ⅓ cup red wine
Garnish:
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
Meat:
- In a large cast pot drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle in red chili flakes, and press and throw in garlic. Turn heat to medium to high.
- When garlic starts to sizzle place in ribs and sausages and sauté 2-3 minutes or until meat starts to brown. Add in minced onions and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so, or until onions soften.
Sauce:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pour in pureed San Marzano and roasted tomatoes and stir. Grab a large crock pot or oven safe dish and place the sauce and meat into the crock pot. Add red wine and stir, then throw in a nice sprig of Rosemary. Cover and place in the pre-heated oven on middle rack. Cook for 40 minutes then turn heat down to 275 degrees F. Cook for an additional 60 minutes.
- Take out of oven, skim any excess oil from top. Plate and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
- Ready to serve with some good crusty rustic bread.
Enjoy!
Notes
You can use regular ribs or short ribs of your choice.
As for the sausage, I used mild, but if you want some heat, hot Italian will do the trick!
You will have sauce leftover. This would be great for a pasta dish like Rigatoni, Penne, or like we used, Fetucce!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: stove top/ oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: baby back ribs, tomato sauce, slow braised, roasted tomatoes, red wine, Italian cuisine, Italian comfort food, garlic, rosemary,
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Ramya says
Will be making this soon can i use vegan meat and mushrooms instead as am a vegan perfect for my after office meals sorry to commenting on your posts again sorry again i love commenting on your posts will dm you guys if i make this and let you guys know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hi Ramya, no need to apologize, we love hearing from you. Yes vegan ,meat and mushrooms sounds absolutely fabulous. Keep cooking and thank you for commenting!
Cheers!
Ginny says
What a feast! I had never cooked baby back ribs before and it was much easier than I thought. The sauce was so good too!
★★★★★
Hi Ginny, I am so happy you tried this and yes it is a very tasty recipe and those baby back ribs get so tender. Now I am craving this again!
Happy cooking and thanks for trying this!
Cheers!
Colleen says
This is a hearty, flavorful, stick to your ribs meal that was perfect for a rainy day. I loved that you can use the sauce for pasta the next day, too. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you Colleen! Yes a very rustic comforting meal perfect for the weather we are having here in the North West. Your very welcome, so glad you are going to try this. The pasta the next day was just incredible!
Happy cooking!
Cheers!
Marta says
The San Marzano tomatoes should not be skipped in this recipe. While I'm sure it can be substituted, the way that particular type of tomato adds to the overall flavor of the dish is something special. This will definitely be a repeat for us.
★★★★★
Thank you Marta, so excited and happy that you tried it and enjoyed it so much! You are so right on the San marzano. They are a very tasty tomato and get very rich in combination with the roasted tomatoes. Have a great weekend!
Cheers!
Marisa F. Stewart says
I've been stuck in the house the last few days what with the rain and all. I decided to make some slow braised ribs. I had the sausages in the freezer and the San Marzano tomatoes. The dish turned out just as tender and flavorful as you said it would. We still have some meat and sauce leftover and we're looking forward to dining on it again.
★★★★★
Hi Marisa
What a great way to beat the gloomy weather. Not to mention delicious to. Just hearing about your ribs and sausage in tomato sauce has my mouth watering!
Way to go, brilliant!
Jenny says
These ribs came out really great. I substituted hot Italian for sweet Italian sausages, my husband's favorites. The whole meal was terrific. The sauce was incredible! Thanks so much, we will make them again.
★★★★★
Hi Jenny
Thank you so much for sharing and trying this. Yes the sweet Italian sausage would be fantastic especially with the tomato sauce. Oooh those leftovers are great for a pasta dish. We did fettucce and it was exquisite!
Well done!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love these 2 in 1 Italian slow cooked meat recipes. Lots of Italians eat the pasta with sauce as a first course and the meat as the main course, but we often get two meals out of these dishes like you. Love that you've used sausages as well. Definitely want to try this!
★★★★★
You described our Italian like to a tee! Italians are very resourceful with their food and love the different courses. Your so right about this being a 2 in 1 meal even three including leftovers! I so want a lunch like this again soon!
Cheers!
Eva says
Ohhh you're not alone on the sauce sandwich! Anything - anything - can go on bread! I don't know if it's an Italian thing, but I always have to explain to my non-Italian friends that bread goes with everything. Especially a meat sauce! That's bread heaven. If you can do "scarpetta" why couldn't you just slather the sauce of your choice on bread? Anyway I could smell the flavour of the meat and tomatoes slowly cooking away as I read your post. This recipe must taste delicious.
★★★★★
Hi Eva, love your passion, can really feel your Italian in you. Yes I agree a nice meat sauce on a slice of pagnotta goes a long way in my books. Oh an Italian table without bread............ unheard of! Thank you for sharing your passion!
Cheers!
Moop Brown says
These ribs and sausages look super tender and juicy. What a flavorful meal as well!
★★★★★
Thank you Moop! It is a fantastic all in one meal, plus then some. the pasta we did the next day was shut the front door good!
Give it a try!
Cheers!
FOODHEAL says
Ooh! I love that sauce. It looks so delicious and spicy. I am sure it will go well with my mushrooms served on brown rice....
Sounds like a great alteration. The rice would be a perfect foundation and those mushrooms meaty and all flavored with the sauce. Yummmmmmy!
Thanks for sharing!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Hearty, stick to your rubs but oh-so-easy is this recipe! It's perfect for those days when you just want to chill out and let the food practically cook itself! Thank you so much for sharing another delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Lori, love the picture you painted. i was all chilled out and calm reminiscing of the aromas and the flavors of this dish!
Thank you!
Cheers!
Ksenia says
What a fantastic one-pot dish! I can’t wait to give it a try, it’s bound to be a hit with my family
★★★★★
Thank you, I am sure your family is going to love this, make sure to have some bread because there is plenty of sauce to slather up! Yum!
Cheers!