Laurie's Absolute Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

Submitted by cook from scratch

"Description from Laurie: I've been using this recipe for 17 years. A friend of mine was a nurse's aide at a nursing home, and was given this recipe by a sweet old Italian lady there--so what a surprise, since this recipe calls for all powdered spices. Besides this recipe making really delicious sauce, it is consistently good because everything is measured. I also measure the spices into a baggie and take it on vacation to make for dinner at the rental. I make the sauce nearly every week because it is a family favorite and the price is right (the sauce costs .88 per can and the paste is .33 a can, and all my spices are the cheapie brand. Sometimes I double it and freeze some --- but the armona is so enticing that it makes it worth it to cook it up fresh."

 

• Ready In: 6hrs 20mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 2 (26 ounce) cans tomato sauce, plus two cans water
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1⁄4 cup sugar (I reduce to 2 T as it is too sweet for me)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (I also add pepper)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese

• For meatballs

• 2 lbs ground round
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups dry breadcrumbs (or crushed saltines) or 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs (omit salt and spices)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning (or to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese

directions

1. Add all ingredients, except soda in a large crock-pot.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Add soda (to reduce tomato acid) and 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir.
4. One hour before serving, make meatballs about golfball sized, dropping them into the sauce raw. The meatballs will soak up and absorb the sauce.

Reviews

[Laura O.]

This was absolutely delicious. Adding the raw meatballs gave the sauce good flavor and kept the meatballs moist. The perfect sauce recipe. I did replace the second ingredient entry for onion powder with oregano. I only used a pound of meat for the meatballs and still had more than plenty.

 

[Sydney Mike]

This is a nice change from my usual pasta sauce (NOT a replacement, just a nice change!), & I doubled the recipe, as well, so some could be frozen! You're adding of the baking soda to the sauce after it had cooked was appreciated (Would have done it anyway, if your recipe hadn't called for it!) & it all turned out just great! Thanks for sharing! [Tagged, made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in the current Pick-A-Chef]