Molly's Spaghetti Sauce

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I always serve the spaghetti sauce in a large bowl separate from the noodles when we're having spaghetti for dinner. I also use this sauce for other things.

1/2 big onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped fine (optional)
1 celery stalk, chopped fine (very optional)
olive oil for frying

4 little cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon good chili powder (more or less)

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 - 3/4 pound Italian sausage (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, more as needed
a nice big lot of freshly ground pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but this adds a great kick)

1-2 cup(s) red wine - any kind you like
35 oz. can of real Italian tomatoes (San Marzano) or 3 cans of regular tomatoes of some sort, mushed in blender (children hate chunks of tomato)
6 oz. can of tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar, more if needed
2-3 tablespoons dried basil (more if desired)
1 teaspoon freshly mortared Italian seasonings

In a Dutch oven (5 quart pot) fry up the onion, carrots, and celery.

In a frying pan put a tablespoon of olive oil and cook up the meat. Add the salt, pepper, and desired spices after it's fried up some and you've removed excess fat. Using a slotted spoon add the meat to the veggies, then add the garlic and chili powder and cayenne and fried for a minute. Add the wine, brown sugar and herbs.

When the wine is no longer red add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Heat up and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. If too thick add some water. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes.  

Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

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This dish is a huge hit with my family. It's a British recipe, not what you'd typically expect from them, as it is very spicy. One daughter likes it so much she wants me to use it as the sauce and meat in my Christmas lasagne.

meatballs:
1 Tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (4 oz, 115gr)
3 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 tps dried oregano

14 oz. Italian sausage
1.5 pounds ground veal (or beef)
1 egg, beaten
50 gr  white bread crumbs

1 tablespoons olive oil (for frying meatballs)

tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 big onion, chopped
4 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder, or red chili flakes
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
3.5 pounds of canned crushed tomatoes with basil
2 Tbls dried sweet basil
1 cup red wine
3 tablespoons brown sugar

meatballs:
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and dried oregano and cook for a minute. Scoop out of the pan into a large bowl and cool.

When cool, mix in the remaining meatball ingredients, seasoning well with salt and pepper. (Fry a tiny bit to check the taste.)

Form into walnut sized meat balls. Chill in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes to help them keep their shape while cooking.

Make the sauce while waiting on the meatballs.

Fry the meatball in olive oil in batches. Add more oil as necessary. Remove done meatballs to the sauce.
Cook for a further 30 minutes.

Tomato Sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan and cook the onions until soft but not colored. Add the garlic, the chili and cumin and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes, sugar and wine and simmer for about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Serve with noodles and Parmesan.

I went to an international deli and got noodles that seem to have come from Central Europe.


BIGGER VERSION  my family really eats a lot of this

meatballs:

1 Tbl olive oil

6 oz onion, chopped

3 fat cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2  tps dried oregano

10 oz. spicy Italian sausage

12 oz mild Italian sausage

2.25 pounds ground  beef

2 egg, beaten

75 gr fresh white bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying meatballs)

tomato sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 big onion, chopped

5 fat cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

5 pounds of canned tomatoes, crushed

11/2  cups red wine

5 tablespoons brown sugar