Meatball Meat Mixture:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
splash of milk
Sauce:
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
splash of white wine vinegar, opt.
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tsp. sugar or brown sugar
1 bay leaf
For Serving:
16 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked
grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all of the meat mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour. Remove the bay leaf. When sauce is almost finished, heat 2 Tbl. olive oil or vegetable oil in a large pot; cook meat until browned and cooked through, breaking it into chunks as it cooks. Add the sauce to the pot with the meat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
*If you would like to attempt meatballs: After you combine all of the meat ingredients, form into small meatballs and place on a cookie sheet; refrigerate for at least one hour. Heat a few Tablespoons oil in a large pot and cook meatballs in batches, until browned and cooked through, adding additional oil as needed. When all the meatballs are cooked, add back to cooking pot and cover with sauce. Makes 38-40 meatballs.