I know! Finally, something Italian from me!
This sauce recipe comes from my English grandmother, but I’ve Italianized it a bit because I love garlic and it was too bland. I’ll show you a couple different ways to use this. Sorry I only have a couple of photos, though.
Grandma’s Original Spaghetti & Meatballs
1 large can of stewed tomatoes, approx. 29oz.
2 12oz. cans tomato paste
Handful of sugar
Dash of salt
2 lbs. hamburger
5 bay leaves
Mix together; bring to boil. Lower heat; cook for one hour and add raw meat/meatballs. Cook as long as possible (at least 4 hours on low heat). Stir occasionally.
She made it this way because my Welsh grandfather didn’t like spices. That’s the reason the sugar was added. I don’t do that anymore, nor do I add salt because tomatoes have enough sodium in them. Below, you will find two different ways I use my grandmother’s recipe, both very different, but with similar tastes in the end.
Jinxie’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
1 large can of stewed tomatoes
2 12oz. cans tomato paste
2 lbs. lean hamburger (can substitute ground turkey enhanced with ground sage)
Spices:
5 Bay leaves
Garlic powder or salt
Onion powder or salt
Italian seasonings (don’t ask me to get specific here)
(ground sage, if using turkey)
Season to taste
Mix together. Add spices; crush the bay leaves in hand and drop in the sauce, and cover the top of the sauce with a layer of garlic and onion; then add a few dashes of Italian seasonings, and bring to a boil. Lower heat; cook for one hour. Add another layer of garlic and onion (optional). If using ground turkey, sprinkle a few dashes of sage over the meat in a bowl and work the sage into the meat. Form meatballs and add them to sauce. I don’t add anything extra to the meatballs. They stay together just fine. Do not stir just yet and make sure the sauce is covering the meatballs. You can stir after about 30 minutes, but do it carefully. The longer this cooks, the better, but if you want it done earlier, you’ll have to pay close attention to it and turn up the heat to medium/medium high. Stir consistently. Serve when ready over pasta.
Jinxie’s Non-meat Quick Sauce
1 29oz. can of tomato sauce
1 12oz. can of tomato sauce
Spices:
Garlic powder or salt
Onion powder or salt
Italian seasonings (don’t ask me to get specific here)
Mix together. Add spices; cover the top of the sauce with a layer of garlic and onion; then add a few dashes of Italian seasonings, and bring to a boil. Lower heat; cook for 30 minutes. Add another layer of garlic and onion (optional and season to taste). Keep the heat at about medium and stir consistently. Cook an additional 30 minutes while pasta is cooking. Serve over pasta when ready.
Sometimes, I throw minced garlic into this sauce as well. Like I said, I love garlic. =D
Buon appetite!
jinxiesworld.com 