Gramma Pandolfi's Pasta Sauce with Meatballs

Ingredients

• •¼ cup olive oil
• •1 large onion
• •1 clove garlic
• •4 ounces button mushrooms
• •3 sausages sweet Italian sausages
• •8 ounces ground beef
• •8 ounces ground pork
• •2 teaspoons kosher salt
• •1 teaspoon black pepper
• •1 teaspoon celery salt
• •1 teaspoon dried oregano
• •1 teaspoon garlic powder
• •1 teaspoon onion powder
• •1 can tomato paste
• •3 cans crushed tomatoes
• •1 can tomato sauce
• •3 sausages sweet Italian sausages
• •8 ounces ground beef
• •8 ounces ground pork
• •1 small onion
• •1 cup breadcrumbs
• •½ cup Parmesan
• •½ cup milk
• •2 teaspoons kosher salt
• •1 teaspoon black pepper
• •1 teaspoon celery salt
• •1 teaspoon dried oregano
• •1 teaspoon garlic powder
• •1 teaspoon onion powder
• •¼ cup olive oil
• •1½ pounds spaghetti
• •2 tablespoons kosher salt
• •½ cup Parmesan

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 6-8 minutes. Crumble sausage, beef, and pork with your fingers into onion mixture. Add kosher salt, pepper, celery salt, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 8.

   240 min

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, combine sausage, beef, pork, onion, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, kosher salt, pepper, celery salt, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Using your hands, form mixture into 1" balls and chill until sauce is ready.

   30 min

3. 3.

   When sauce is ready, heat 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add meatballs (without crowding) and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Transfer meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet as you finish cooking each batch.

   25 min

4. 4.

   Reserve 2 cups tomato sauce, then add meatballs to remaining sauce in stockpot. If your pot is not large enough, divide sauce and meatballs between 2 pots. Cover and continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 10-15 minutes.

   15 min

5. 5.

   When meatballs and sauce are almost ready, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and return pasta to pot over medium-low heat. Spoon reserved 2 cups tomato sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed to loosen sauce and coat pasta.

   15 min

6. 6.

   Divide pasta among plates and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

   5 min

7. 7.

   Sauce can be made, cooled, and chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Meatballs can be shaped and chilled 1 day ahead. Meatballs can be cooked in sauce, cooled, and chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.