I know I am a newbie, but I can, and do, make great spaghetti sauce. First, I make the basic tomato sauce. I make batches that amount to about 16-18 quarts during garden season. So all I have to do is grab a jar, and proceed.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes(I used the canned ones, because they are the ripest tomatoes you can find, and simpler. They use tomatoes that are about to be overripe, since they can them, anyway)
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (3-inch piece) Parmesan rind
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, oregano and black pepper, and cook, stirring, about 5-6 minutes. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and sugar to the pot with the onion mixture, and stir well. Add the Parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled wooden spoon, until flavors have come together and sauce is thickened. Stir in the basil. Preserve as needed.
10 cups homemade tomato sauce, or you can use store bought sauce.
For the meatballs:
1 large egg
1 pound lean ground beef(Sometimes I use 3/4 beef and 1/4 sweet Italian sausage)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
**Notice, I do not use bread crumbs or other filler. Why? The egg, cheese and herbs bind together the meat, just fine. Meatballs taste better without fillers.
For the Spaghetti:
1 pound spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Salt, for seasoning cooking water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Place the Basic Red Sauce in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Place all the remaining meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with hands, then form the meat into balls by rolling about 2 tablespoons of meat between your hands. Place meatballs on a plate as they are formed. (wet hands, slightly. Keeps from sticking) When all the meatballs are formed, gently place the balls into the sauce 1 at a time using a long handled spoon. Be careful - bubbling sauce splatters! Simmer the sauce uncovered, and allow the meatballs to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes before stirring. Stir the meatballs into the sauce when they rise to the top.
Simmer for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can add mushrooms, peppers, or anything else.
While sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water to suit your taste. Strain and toss with the olive oil. Keep warm until ready to serve.
A labor of love. I have little time in the evenings, so I can the sauce. When it comes time for the spaghet, I open a jar, and get busy. Enjoy.
