Sauce
1) 1 can of San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed or whole
2) 1 small onion
3) 1 small carrot
4) Half celery
5) Dry chili pepper flakes to taste, optional
6) Salt and pepper to taste
Finely chop onion, carrot and celery,
In a sauce pan simmer in a little olive oil until soft, with the chilly flakes
Add the canned tomatoes. Add a little water to the can and add this to the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.
Meatballs
1) 1 lb ground meat (mixture of veal, pork, beef)
2) 1 small onion
3) 1 small carrot
4) 1/2 stalk celery
5) Hand full of chopped Italian parsley
6) 1 egg
7) Bread crumbs, approx a cup
In a food processor, grid till fine the onion, celery and carrot.
Simmer over med heat until soft.
When cooled add to ground meat, egg and parsley.
With clean hands😊 mix it all together.
Salt and pepper to taste
Add enough breadcrumbs to mixture so meatballs will keep their shape.
Either bake or pan fry until lightly brown.
If you fry them then let them sit on some paper towels to absorb the grease.
Put them in your sauce and simmer for about an hour.
You can double the sauce recipe if you like.
So I usually start the sauce first, and then get to the meatballs.
I chop all the veggies for both at the same time, makes cleanup easier.
💜 This recipe is very special to me!
When I was 10 - 11 years old we lived down the lane from a
wonderful Italian family who had two daughters I went to school with.
I was invited over for dinner one night when their Nonna was visiting
from Italy and was treated to the best meal I had ever eaten to that date.
With my being inept in the kitchen, Nonna started by washing my hands,
putting an apron on me, tying my hair back and placing me at the kitchen
counter. She showed me how to form the meat mix into meatballs.
I listened to every word, although I didn't understand a word, she only spoke
Italian. I was able to follow what her hands were doing. I think she was
stunned to find a girl of my age who had zero skills in the kitchen, but I was
never allowed to help with dinner prep.
