Susan's Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

Ingredients

Sauce

1 pound hot italian sausage (or 2 pounds, if omitting meatballs for lasagne)
2 10 3/4 oz cans tomato puree
1 12 oz can tomato paste
26 oz water
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 t sugar
1/2 t basil
(I either use chopped fresh in season or crushed that I keep in my freezer during off-season)
3 t italian seasoning
2 t salt
2 t pepper
 

Meatballs

1 pound hamburger
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 T bread crumbs
2 small pinches basil (use fresh, if possible)
1/2 t salt
1 clove chopped garlic
2 eggs
1/4 c water
1/8 t salt
 

Instructions

Brown sausage and drain most of the fat. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the browned sausage and let simmer.

Preheat oven to 325°. In a mixing bowl combine first six meatball ingredients and mix with hands until well-blended. In a separate bowl combine last three ingredients, beat well, and add to hamburger mixture. Mix well and then form small meatballs in a single layer of a large baking dish. Cook at 325° for 15 minutes.

When done, add meatballs to simmering sauce and scrape excess fat into sauce. Simmer sauce for at least two hours, or all day if possible. Recipe works well in a crock pot.

Notes

This recipe was given to me by my friend Toni DeAmbra when she visited me and wanted to cook a meal. It's her family's recipe. The original recipe called for all dried seasonings, but I like using fresh basil and oregano since I have them. She also used parmesan cheese from a can, which is easier, but I like to use shredded asiago or real parmesan or romano.

 

Something possessed me to put some of my favorite recipes on my web site back in 1995. I add a new one now and then when I discover something interesting. My recipes are generally combinations of favorite recipes I've found in cookbooks. They were developed through experimentation and lots of tasting!
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