Spaghetti and Meatballs with Double Meat Sauce

For the sauce

1 pound lean ground round or a combo of ground sirloin and bulk Italian sausage (see cook's notes)

1 large onion, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 (4 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the meatballs

1 pound lean ground round or a combo of ground sirloin and bulk Italian sausage (see cook's notes)

½ onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon, dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large stock pot, brown the meat for the sauce with chopped onion. You will have more flavor if you really brown the meat.

Add rest of sauce ingredients to browned meat and cook over medium low, stirring occasionally

Mix all meatball ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Using your hands, make 1-inch sized meatballs and drop uncooked meatballs into the sauce. Stir very gently between additions. Continue this until all meat has been formed into meatballs and placed in stockpot.

Cook mixture on medium for 15 minutes or until sauce is well heated.

Partially cover the stockpot and continue to let the sauce and meatballs simmer on low for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve over pasta.

Cook's notes: I usually make this recipe with half lean ground sirloin and half mild bulk Italian sausage. So if I were making a single batch of this recipe I would buy 1 pound of ground sirloin and 1 pound of Italian sausage and use a half pound of each in the sauce and a half pound of each for the meatballs.

Prep time: 30 minutes, cooking time: minimum of 1-2 hours, can simmer all day.

Make ahead notes: I always double, triple, or even quadruple (you need a really big pot to do this!) this and freeze in small portions. For some reason there usually aren't enough meatballs left to freeze, so I make more when sauce is thawed and reheated.

Serves 8 to 10

Crystal Maleski