The BEST Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

• 1/4 cup dried minced onions

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• 3/4 cup water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

Sauce

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 celery stalk, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• olive oil

• 12 oz tomato paste

• 10.75 oz tomato puree

• 4 cans diced tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil

• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/8 teaspoon rosemary

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika

• 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti noodles, uncooked

Instructions

1. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before rolling into meatballs.

2. To make the sauce, first heat olive oil at medium-high heat in a large pot, then add celery, onion, and garlic. Saute until veggies are soft and onion is becoming transparent.

3. Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients except for the noodles to the pot and stir everything together. Turn down heat until sauce comes to a low simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

4. After the meatball mixture has chilled for 4 hours, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin rolling the meatballs into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake meatballs in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

5. Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions or until al dente.

6. To serve, top the spaghetti noodles with the spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Add freshly grated parmesan and chopped fresh basil leaves if desired. Enjoy!