Italian Spaghetti

This is fabulous!  I got the recipe from your Great Aunt Janet years ago.  It was always a treat to have dinner at Mama's as she also made this a lot!  One of dad's favorites.  The recipe originated from Aunt Janet's mother-in-law -- Mrs. Z.  What I love a lot about this recipe is that the sauce is not loaded with spice.  I believe spice is overused at times especially in spaghetti sauce.  A really good tomato sauce should be just that -- the taste of tomatoes, onion, and garlic.  Very basic and simple.  I use this same sauce for eggplant Parmesan.  Sometimes I will use a basic marinara sauce for eggplant but, if I have the below on hand, I use that.  One of the best canned whole peeled tomatoes is San Marzano.  Try to find, if possible.  

Ingredients -- Sauce:
3-4 cans of good quality Italian peeled plum, whole, or crushed tomatoes -   preferably San Marzano
4-5 medium onions or 3 very large
6-8 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley or dried -- lots
butter  - about 1/2 stick

Directions:
In a medium to large stock pan over medium-low heat, add the tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chopped fresh or dried parsley (which I admit I use the dried -- I put a lot in at this point -- you want to see it in the sauce, so just put in what you think).  It's a good idea to cover pan with a splatter screen -- cuts down on sauce splattering onto stove top surface and surroundings.  Simmer sauce for several hours.

Now -- bring out a large saute pan.  Turn the burner on to heat the pan first -- then add the olive oil into the preheated pan.  Add diced onion and garlic until the onions appear "clear."  Approximately 10 minutes - stirring frequently to avoid burning.  Add one small can of tomato paste plus 1 can of water (use same can from the tomato paste).  Mix in well, reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.  Add this mixture to above tomato sauce.  Add 1/2 stick of butter to reduce the "bitterness" from the tomatoes.  Don't add sugar -- makes sauce too sweet.

Ingredients -- Meatballs:
2 pounds lean ground beef 
2 eggs
2 - 4 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese (I use Romano)
1 medium onion -- diced into small pieces
3 garlic cloves - crushed
*6 slices of good quality bread such as Ezekiel Sprouted Grains
salt, pepper, fresh parsley to taste -- I use dried parsley and quite a bit

Directions:
Cut the crusts from the bread and discard.  Tear bread slices into small pieces and soak in milk in a large mixing bowl.  Pour just enough milk over bread to saturate well, not where bread is sitting in visible liquid -- about 20 minutes.  Using hands, mix the remaining ingredients well with the soaked bread.

Preheat a large skillet.  Add a good quality extra virgin olive oil to hot skillet (temperature of skillet should be medium).  Shape ground beef into golf size balls or a little larger, if desired, and brown evenly on all sides in olive oil -- estimation of time for browning is probably 10-15-20 minutes per batch, turning meatballs and browning evenly on all sides.  (Cut one open after about 10 minutes to make sure it is close to being done on inside -- continue cooking until at least almost done.  It will finish cooking completely when it is dropped into sauce during the hour before serving).**  When the first batch of meatballs are done and before adding next batch to skillet, using a slotted spoon, remove "droppings" from fried meatballs and drop into spaghetti sauce.  Really adds to the flavor of the sauce!  Drain each batch of meatballs well on paper towels and refrigerate until ready to drop into sauce.  Add meatballs to sauce at least one hour prior to serving -- preferably earlier.  Only add what you will be using -- (NOTE:  do not store meatballs overnight in sauce.  Remove and store separately in frig.  If left in sauce, you will not have much the next day -- the meat absorbs it! -- Speaking from experience.  A lot of work only to have your sauce disappear overnight).

*  I buy Ezekiel Organic Sprouted Grain Bread from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  Another great organic bread is Dave's Killer Breads -- the grains and seed type.

** Do try to cook meatballs almost done in skillet before adding to sauce in order to avoid a lot of grease from the ground beef draining into your great sauce!

A few pointers:  If you plan on making more meatballs than the two pounds -- adjust measurements of all ingredients accordingly:  for example 4 pounds of ground beef would require 12 slices of bread (again just remove the crusts before breaking into small pieces).  You will be doubling all ingredients. You may think the bread amount seems over the top, but don't worry -- the bread does not make the meatballs soggy or too firm.  It works nicely to bind the meat in order to form into a meatball.

MEATLOAF RECIPE:  I use this exact recipe for making meatloaf.   Form the meatloaf into a long oval shape and place in the middle of a 9"x12" casserole dish.  Surround it with lots of carrots that have been pre-cooked in a covered glass bowl in the microwave in order to soften a bit prior to baking.  It is essential that the dish is covered before placing in microwave -- the steam slightly softens the carrots.  Place carrots around the meatloaf in the 9 x 12 casserole dish and sprinkle a bit of black pepper over all. Spread Heinz chili sauce (or ketchup, but I really do prefer the chili sauce) evenly over the top of the meatloaf and allow some to get on carrots.  COVER the meatloaf and carrots with foil and bake approximately 1 hour for a two pound meatloaf.  I know, sounds crazy, right? -- chili sauce rather than ketchup?? Yes! The flavor has a little extra "something"!