My Homemade Pasta Sauce and Meatball Recipe

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had wonderful examples of grandparents and parents in my life. My Sunday’s as a child consisted of going to church, stopping at the newsstand to pick up the Sunday paper and a loaf of Italian bread, and then home where my mother would begin frying meatballs for our Sunday dinner. You see, Sunday dinner is when the family all gathered together, and the food was the center of attraction. Food to Italians is nurturing, it feeds the soul and makes you feel happy. My family always was and is still to this day passionate about food and the kitchen is our center.  Three generations later we still have the same family traditions of eating Pasta on Sunday. When I cook for the family we graze on food all day long.  Now that my children have families of their own, not everyone can arrive at the same time, so I’ll make sure to have food available and the aroma of garlic and onions in the air by noon. In winter I’ll prepare a pot of minestrone soup (recipe in link) along with pasta and meatballs to enjoy while watching their watching football games. There is always anti pasta, with plenty of bread, and of course meatballs are enjoyed all day long.

Unfortunately, when I cook, I seldom measure so it’s very difficult to pass along the recipes. I try the best I can, but I believe truly that everything tastes better when it’s made with love. Fresh ingredients are the second to cooking with love. I’ll buy my meat that day, and only use fresh basil and freshly grated cheese.

Pasta & Meatballs on Sunday- A tradition unlike any other

One thing for sure, we will not ever give up on the tradition of a family meal and spending time together. I’ve inherited a serving spoon from my mother that I use now use when preparing meals for my family. When I use this spoon, it brings me back to my own childhood kitchen and the memories of my mother standing at the stove. This spoon is sentimental to me because many members of my family hands’ have held it. It has served up food in happy times on special occasions and served up comfort food in times when family was gathered to support one another. I want my grandchildren to know their cousins and have memories sharing family meals together. I want them all to enjoy the food I prepare with love and also give them a part of the culture that I grew up with. When the time comes, I hope that that my mother’s serving spoon will be passed along to another generation of family meals and the moments created with those meals will be cherished.

Pasta Sauce Ingredients

• 3 cans tomato puree
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1-2 neck pork bones or country ribs
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few dashes of red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tablespoons of butter
• 1-2 tablespoons brownsugar
• when adding the water to the sauce I substitute one can of water with a can of organic beef broth in place of the water as the beef broth richens the flavor

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once heated add the meat and sautee until it starts to brown.

Next, add the onion and the garlic. After the onion is golden, then add the cans of tomato puree and the tomato paste.

Then, fill each emptied can with water and add that to the pan. Now add your salt and pepper, butter, and red pepper flakes. I add the fresh basil about an hour before serving so the flavor of the basil is not lost.

• You can also add ¼ cup of red wine to the sauce  
• If the sauce tastes a little acidic try adding a tablespoon of sugar

Prepare your meatballs as directed below and let them cook in your pot of sauce for a few hours stirring constantly.

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBS. chopped parsley
• 1 TBS. Chopped basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup of milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps to Make Meatballs

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and shape into round balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

When they are browned add them to your pot of sauce. It is important to let them finish cooking in your sauce because they absorb that flavor and that is what makes them taste so good.

*the traditional and most flavorful way to cook your meatballs is to fry them in a pan with a little olive oil instead of baking them in the oven. I only cook them in the oven because I make so many that it saves me time.

Bon Appetit!