Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs is a great way to use your garden tomatoes. It’s a bit time consuming to prepare the fresh tomatoes, but my, oh my, does it smell good in the kitchen. And the taste is buono!

Prep Time45

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Cooking from Scratch, Garden Tomatoes, Homemade

Servings:

Calories: 660kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Spaghetti Sauce

8 cups 3 pounds red tomatoes parboiled, peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onion chopped
1/2 cup fresh garlic minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cubes beef bouillon
6 oz tomato paste
1 whole bay leaf
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups button mushrooms chopped

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork sausage
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
20 oz favorite dried spaghetti cooked according to package directions
1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan to garnish
fresh basil to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Parboil the Fresh Tomatoes

Bring a large pot or roaster of water to a boil and add 8 cups 3 pounds red tomatoes to the water. You want enough water to cover the tomatoes in a single layer. Allow to boil for 25-30 seconds or until you see the delicate skin begin to peel. Whichever comes first. Then remove tomatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon.
Place the hot tomatoes in ice water to stop the cooking. Repeat this process until all the tomatoes have been blanched. You will now be able to easily peel the skins from the tomatoes and dice them for use.
Using a Santoku or Chef’s knife, dice the tomatoes into small pieces. They will cook down in the sauce, but I like to give them a good start by starting small.
Measure the diced tomatoes and place in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. You should have about 8 cups of tomatoes.

Prepare the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table
Using a cutting board and sharp knife, dice 1 cup sweet onion. Mince 1/2 cup fresh garlic.
Chop 2 cups button mushrooms and place in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Make the Sauce

In a medium skillet over medium heat sauté the diced sweet onion and minced garlic in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion and garlic to the diced tomatoes. Then add 1/2 cup dry red wine, 3 cubes beef bouillon, 6 oz tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
Season the sauce with 1 whole bay leaf, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Heat the large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Continue cooking for 60-90 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
Once the sauce has cooked for up to 90 minutes, remove the lid from the sauce and cook uncovered for another 90 minutes, stirring more frequently.

Prepare the Meatballs

While sauce is cooking, prepare meatballs. Preheat oven to 375℉. In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground pork sausage, 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning Mix well with a fork or your hands.
Roll into balls the size of golf balls or use a small cookie scoop (3/4 oz) to make the meatballs. Place in greased oblong baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until done.

Finish the Sauce

To finish the sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet, and sauté the chopped mushrooms until tender for 10-15 minutes.
Add the mushrooms to the spaghetti sauce along with the cooked meatballs. Cook sauce for an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Prepare the Spaghetti

Prepare 20 oz favorite dried spaghetti according to package instructions or double my Homemade Pasta Recipe Here.
Place water in a large stockpot and bring to a rolling boil. Add in a tablespoon of kosher salt for seasoning. Cook pasta to al dente, according to boxed directions.
Begin dishing up the dinner, by placing the meatballs in a large serving bowl.
When the pasta has reached al dente, transfer spaghetti with a pasta scoop to the sauce. Gently stir until the sauce has coated all or most of the spaghetti. Place spaghetti in a second large serving bowl.
Serve spaghetti with 1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan, French Bread or Soft Bread Sticks. Serves 8-10.

Notes

*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter on this recipe site is salted.

Nutrition