Meatballs and Sausages Spaghetti

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This is my signature spaghetti sauce for adults whenever I am tasked to make spaghetti for a party. This sauce is a combination of three recipes that I compiled together. First off is the traditional marinara sauce from Sophia Loren's book. The addition of meatballs and sausages were inspired by a friend of mine who served her spaghetti this way during dinner at her place. My meatball recipe is a takeoff from Michael Chiarello's meatball recipe that I made more simple. And lastly, the third inspiration is from Lou Malnati's basic tomato sauce recipe which I found online.

Now, let's start with the sauce. As noted above, this basic sauce is inspired by Sophia Loren recipe and further improved upon by a recipe of Lou Malnati's signature tomato sauce which uses minimal ingredients and opts for better quality ingredients instead. This is really the key to this basic sauce that can be used for both spaghetti or even as a pizza base. The other secret is to let it simmer for at least 30 minutes until the sauce is all bubbly and thick. You can adjust the sauce to taste but I prefer mine on the sour side. 

The meatballs are also easy to make based on a recipe from Michael Chiarello. It gets fried until just browned and then they are fully cooked in the sauce. Simmering them in the sauce adds a new depth to their flavor. As for the sausage, my sausage of choice are mild Italian sausages but you can substitute them with any sausage you like. To finish, cook the dried spaghetti al dente and mix with the sauce and share this wonderful dish with the family. 

Meatballs and Sausages Spaghetti

Meatballs and Sausages:
2 lbs fresh Italian sausages
2 lbs ground pork
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 large egg
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil + more if needed

1. Combine the ground meats, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme and 
    egg in a large bowl and season the meatball mixture with salt and pepper. 
    Roll into 1-inch balls and set aside. 

2. In a frying pan over medium heat, cook the sausages by boiling them in 
    1/2 cup water. Once the water has boiled off, prick the sausages to 
    release its juices. Continue to cook until the sausages are browned. 
    Remove from the pan and set aside. 

3. Add the olive oil to the same pan and fry the meatballs until just browned. 
    Set aside.  

4. Save the oil used for frying the meatballs. 

Spaghetti Sauce:
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 lbs tomatoes, diced (or 2 -30oz canned diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

1. To make the sauce, saute the garlic in the frying pan used to brown the 
    meatballs and sausages. Cook until slightly golden.

2. Add the tomatoes and saute until softened. Add two cups of water and 
    bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the tomato paste, oregano and season 
    with salt and pepper. 

3. Cover the pan and lower the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. 
    Continue to check every 10 minutes and add some water when the sauce 
    gets too thick. 

4. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly. To finish off the sauce, slice the 
    cooked sausages into thirds and add into the sauce. Add the meatballs as 
    well and continue to simmer until ready to mix with the cooked spaghetti. 

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

To use as a spaghetti sauce, cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions while the sauce is simmering with the meatballs and sausages. Once al dente, drain the liquid and mix the cooked pasta with just enough sauce to cover the noodles. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a topping of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.