Italian-American Sunday gravy, or a hearty tomato meat sauce that's simmered all Sunday long, began as a Southern Italian tradition, and is now a staple of home cooking in American cities with a large Italian immigrant population. This gravy originates from the city of Naples and the region of Campania, home to Neapolitan ragù.

A basic ragù consists of a whole cut or cuts of meat cooked in tomato sauce, and often includes multiple types of meat from beef short ribs to pork chops. By the mid-20th century in America, classic ragù gained the Americanized nomenclature of "gravy," becoming a cooking tradition that many Italian-Americans still cherish greatly.

During ragù's evolution into Sunday gravy, it underwent surprisingly few changes in terms of cooking and serving. Two newer developments are spaghetti being the most popular pasta to serve with gravy, and meat is often served with the sauce, such as in spaghetti and meatballs, rather than the two components being separated.