Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs (for 10)

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Yield: Serves 10.

This rich, hearty spaghetti sauce, since it specifies canned tomato products, is especially useful when fresh tomatoes are not at their best.

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/4 pound ground veal (optional)
• 1 can (14 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 carrot
• 1 green pepper; cored and seeded
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (28 ounces) ground tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (Durkee's preferred)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 or more cloves minced fresh garlic to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• MEATBALLS:
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/3 (15-ounce) can Hunt's Tomato Sauce Special, or more as wanted
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tomato juice to moisten, if necessary

To make sauce, heat olive oil in large kettle and add meats, stirring until browned. Add tomato paste and stir. Grind carrot, pepper, celery, and onion in a food grinder or food processor and add to sauce. Add tomato puree, tomato sauce, and ground tomatoes. Add seasonings, adjusting to taste, and simmer over low heat for 7 to 8 hours, the longer the better. After about 4 hours, stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Add meatballs several hours before serving. Do not cover kettle, and remember to stir frequently so that the sauce doesn't stick to bottom of pan.

To make meatballs, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with hands, adding tomato juice to moisten if needed. Adjust seasoning if necessary, and mix again. Shape mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls and place on a cookie sheet with 1 inch sides (or a jelly-roll pan). Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are firm but not browned. Add to sauce as described above.

Cook enough thin spaghetti to feed the assembled company. Serve hot with sauce and additional grated Parmesan cheese. Any leftover sauce will freeze well.

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VARIATION: Hot or sweet Italian sausages, pricked with a fork and browned (30 minutes or so) on cookie sheets in a 350 degrees F oven, may be added to the sauce along with the meatballs.

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