INGREDIENTS (SAUCE):
- 1 TBSP oil
- 1/3-1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/3-1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 TBSP minced garlic (6 cloves)
— - 18 oz tomato paste (HUNTS not generic crap)
- 14 oz tomato sauce (HUNTS not generic crap)
- 45 oz water (basically 2 and 1/2 fills of the paste can)
— - 1.5- 2.0 TBSP oregano
- 1.5- 2.0 TBSP parsley
- 1.5- 2.0 TBSP basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- dash crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 LB hot Italian sausage
- 1 ox tail (optional)
- Pasta (2.5 LBS spaghetti feeds 7 people with 4 leftover servings)
INGREDIENTS (MEATBALLS):
- 1LB ground beef (or 1/2 beef & 1/2 pork)
- 2/3 cup season bread crumbs (Italian)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (or A1)
- 1 TBSP Parmesan Cheese (grated, optional)
- Dash of salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large sauce pot, heat oil on medium heat.
- Saute onion, green pepper & garlic for 2-3 minutes. (then remove pot from heat)
- Add tomato sauce, paste, water & all sauce ingredients, bring to boil. (+ oxtail if wanted)
- Reduce heat and simmer for 1-hour minimum
- Add sausage and simmer for 1-hour (can extend as long as wanted)
- Toward the end of sausage 1-hour of simmering.
- Mix all meatball ingredients together. Discard oxtail.
- Form into small balls and drop carefully into sauce around sausage
- Start pasta water
- Cook sauce for 1-hour minimum (don’t stir for 15 minutes to allow to form)
- Add 1-2 tsp oil, dash of salt to boiling water. Add pasta in boiling water. Have PLENTY of water beyond pasta. Bring back to boil and time pasta. (spaghetti is 10 minutes)
- Strain pasta, return to pot or serving dish, mix in small amount of sauce in pasta to prevent sticking
PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR 6:00 DINNER:
- 12:30 – Clear the kitchen and put on apron
- 12:45 – Begin cutting up vegetables & heat pot to medium
- 1:00 – Oil & Vegetables in the pot
- 1:15 – Add all other sauce ingredients & bring to boil
- 1:30 – Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour
- 2:00 – Stir sauce
- 2:30 – Add sausage & simmer 1-1/2 hours
- 3:00 – Stir sauce
- 3:30 – Start making meatballs
- 4:00 – Stir and add meatballs to sauce & simmer (remove oxtail to make room)
- 4:30 – Gently stir sauce & rotate meatballs
- 5:00 – Start pasta water
- 5:00 – Crack sauce lid to boil off water to thicken
- 5:30 – Preheat oven for garlic bread
- 5:40 – Start cooking pasta
- 5:45 – Put garlic bread in oven
- 6:00 – ENJOY!
SHOPPING LIST FOR DOUBLE-BATCH:
- 36 oz of tomato paste (two 18 oz)
- 28 oz of tomato sauce (can comes in 29oz)
- 1 large white or yellow onion
- 1 green pepper
- 2 LBS ground beef (or 1 LB feef & 1 LB pork)
- 3 LB pasta
- 1-1/3c italian bread crumbs
- CHECK (Egg, milk, bread crumbs, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, all spices)
sadf
