Shortcut Sunday Sauce Recipe (2 Ingredients)

Name: The 2-Ingredient Sunday Sauce Inspired by My Italian Mother-in-Law
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 245 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 pound country-style pork ribs (about 3 ribs); 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce, such as Rao’s; 1/4 cup water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese, basil, crushed red pepper flakes

The very first time I ate my mother-in-law’s from-scratch Italian spaghetti was a spiritual experience. I watched her roll out and slice the noodles by hand, and carefully place each meatball into the sauce before serving each of us a large helping.

Her grandfather immigrated to America when he was only nine years old, and that family history is evident in each bite of food she’s ever prepared for me. While I’m not quite at the skill level to make her homemade sauce, I did take a page from her book on how to impart great flavor into marinara.

Large pot of red tomato sauce with a serving ladle garnished with fresh herbs and a small bowl of grated cheese beside it — Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

The Secret to My Mother-in-Law’s Sauce

She simmers her sauce on the stovetop for hours with an ingredient that surprised me: country-style pork ribs. So now I like to pour a jar of my favorite store-bought marinara in the slow cooker with ribs for an elevated take on store-bought marinara. The pork adds a richness to the sauce that my partner says reminds him of his mom’s—the highest compliment I could ever hope for.

I agree with the Simply Recipes editors when it comes to store-bought marinara: Rao’s is the all-around best. Editor Lucy Simon said, “It has a perfect balance of sweet, savory, salty, and acidic, and a rich texture that isn’t overly oily,” and I concur! Rao’s is always my first choice, but if Rao’s isn’t available, Classico Traditional is a great, slightly sweeter alternative.

How To Select Ribs

There are two things I look for when selecting ribs for my Sunday sauce. First, I always choose country-style ribs. Contrary to the name, country-style ribs are cut from the shoulder—they are called ribs because of their similar texture and flavor. Country-style ribs have the perfect fat content to get extra tender and richly flavored when simmered in this sauce.

Bowls of spaghetti with red meat sauce served from a pot — Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Second, I always make sure they’re boneless. When I’m making a lazy Sunday meal, going boneless means less work and less risk of a bone possibly getting left behind. No one likes accidentally biting on a bone in their sauce. Country-style ribs are usually boneless but can occasionally have bones, so double-check to avoid the extra work.

During cooking, some excess fat from the ribs will inevitably rise to the top. Use a ladle to skim off most of this excess fat for the best texture in your finished sauce.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to enjoy this two-ingredient sauce is over spaghetti. Other pastas work great too, like penne or even fettuccini. Another less traditional way we often enjoy it is with a can of cannellini beans stirred in and a large loaf of crusty no-knead bread on the side for dipping. The beans add extra fiber and a delicious creamy flavor. It’s also really nice over wild rice or homemade polenta.

Close-up of a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce and shredded meat. A fork is coming in and has a twirl of pasta around it.

More Slow Cooker Meals To Try