Brown's Meat Balls and Tomato Sauce

Slightly more work than throwing frozen meatballs and tinned sauce in the slow cooker, but a lot more impressive for your guests, or on nights when the extra effort is worth it.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 huge dinner

Ingredients

• Sauce

• 1  red onion, chopped fine
• 1 1⁄2 lbs mushrooms, sliced thin
• 156  g fresh spinach leaves, chopped fine
• 6  garlic cloves, crushed
• 680  ml tomato sauce
• 796  ml crushed tomatoes
• 156  ml tomato paste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon basil
• 2  teaspoons oregano
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  tablespoons parsley
• 2  tablespoons red wine

• Meatballs

• 2 1⁄2 lbs  lean ground sirloin
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 4  garlic cloves, crushed
• 2  teaspoons oregano
• 4  teaspoons basil
• 1  cup  breadcrumbs
• 6  tablespoons asiago cheese

Directions

1. Fry the onion in olive oil until it begins to caramelize, then add 6 cloves garlic, nutmeg, 1 tsp basil, 2 tsp oregano, and parsley.
2. Fry just until garlic browns, then add mushrooms.
3. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, then add the spinach, and cook for another two minutes or so.
4. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt, sugar, and wine, simmer on low for an hour.
5. Mix sirloin, eggs, kosher salt, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tsp oregano, 4 tsp basil, bread crumbs, and asiago cheese, roll into quarter-sized balls.
6. Place in ungreased glass pans so that they don't touch each other, and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, turning half way.
7. Serve over spaghetti with parmesan cheese and lots of fresh, coarse ground black pepper. Throw in a ceasar salad, red wine, garlic bread, and tiramisu, and you're a hero!