Some weeks are for cooking, and some weeks are for movies and eating out.

I have always been a movies maven. I like to think that the first movie I saw was “Gone With the Wind” with my Aunt Clara (a cousin, actually, who visited us from California). That is not true, since that movie was released in 1939, long before I was born. In any case, each January I call The Garde box office in New London to find out when the season passes for the film series, which usually includes 20-plus Oscar-nominated films, will be available.

A few Saturdays ago, friends and I went to the Oscar Shorts, one of which will win March 4. Then we walked across the street to have dinner at Tony D’s before the 7:30 p.m. movie, “The Florida Project.” The restaurant was busy, but we were early and got a table. I wanted pasta and ordered spicy sausages and cavatappi, since Anthony d’Angelo, Tony’s son and executive chef, made the sausage. That pasta was the best I ever had. Hopefully he will make this again. Better than that, maybe he will give me the recipe. In the meantime, here is my favorite to make at home.

Sunday Gravy with Sausages and Meatballs

Adapted from Johanne Killeen and George Germon, “On Top of Spaghetti” (Morrow, New York, 2007)

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish

One-quarter cup extra virgin olive oil

3 pork chops (total weight 1 to 1 and one-half pounds)

1 1/4 pounds Italian sweet sausage, halved horizontally

1 cup chopped onions

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 28-ounce can tomatoes (I use only Muir Glen)

6-ounce can tomato paste

Cheese rinds from Parmigiano-Reggiano or bits of Pecorino Romano (optional)

Mary’s meatballs

1 pound dried spaghetti or rigatoni, cooked

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add pork chops and sausages and brown on all sides. Transfer chops to a plate. Toss onions into pot with garlic, fennel seeds and salt. Saute over moderate heat, stirring frequently and scraping up any bits, until onions are soft and golden.

Put chops back in the pot with any juices. Add tomatoes, 2 cups water and tomato paste. Drop in rinds if you have any. Cover pot, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently drop meatballs, a few at a time, shaking the pot to make room for the meatballs. Cover all the meatballs, cover pot and simmer for an hour or more.

To finish sauce, take out chops, remove bones and chop off the meat and add to sauce. Check for seasoning. Ladle sauce over hot pasta and dust with cheese.

Mary’s Meatballs

Yield: makes 26 to 28 meatballs

12 ounces ground beef

4 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into tiny cubes (I used challah)

three-quarters cup milk

three-quarters to 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

8 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

fine sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, bread and milk. Add cheese, basil, parsley, egg and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly. Form into small meatballs, no larger than one and one-half inches in diameter