Papa Vento's Sugo and Meatballs

My Dad's sauce and meatballs is the one I'm always asked to bring/cater to everybody's functions. Some have tried to make it themselves but say it never turns out the same as mine so I get to do the work. I'm sure any of you can make it!

Ingredients

Sugo

• 3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 4 small (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 small (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons regular or garlic salt
• 3 tablespoons sweet basil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 to 4 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Meatballs

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 slice white bread, crust trimmed
• 1 pound ground pork or beef
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh parmesan
• 1 egg
• Salt and black pepper
• Flour and oil

Instructions

1. Sugo: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add garlic and sauté until the onion just BEGINS to turn golden.
2. Add the paste (and 1 can of water for every can of paste) and the tomato sauce stirring until blended. Add the salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (low boil) for 20 minutes (scraping off any foam that develops on top.) Add basil and simmer for 3 hours.
3. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed. Add the wine and sugar and meatballs. Simmer an additional 2 to 3 hours to desired thickness.
4. Serve over pasta.

Options:

Use this sauce for eggplant Parmigiana, lasagna or and other dish that requires spaghetti sauce. Put browned meatballs or Italian sausage in to the sauce the last 3 hours of cooking. Put an uncooked chuck roast into it for the last 3 to 4 hours, shred and return to pot for a shredded beef sauce. Add browned ground beef the last 30 minutes for a beef sauce.

Meatballs: Warm milk in a small saucepan. Add bread to absorb milk. Squeeze excess milk from bread. In a medium bowl, with your hands, mix the next 5 ingredients with the bread until blended together. Form balls the size of golf balls. Put flour in a small bowl and roll balls into the flour. Shake excess. In a large skillet, Heat oil 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Put the meatballs into your spaghetti sauce and simmer the last 2 to 4 hours. (They'll be more tender the longer you cook them.)

You can broil these meatballs, then simmer in the sauce for a meatball with less fat, but I like this recipe (fried) because its texture is outstanding and the flavor is...well...make them and see for yourself!

Posted by artsycook (Lisa Stapor) at Recipe Goldmine 6/11/01 3:53:19 pm.