Rose's Red Sauce & Meatballs (Estimated by Franca Esposito)

Tim C.: Perfection takes time... low and slow makes the best pasta and meatballs. I can never get mine to taste exactly like I remember grandma's, but it comes pretty darn close!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 30 meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef, veal, and pork (combined weight, all turkey comes out pretty good too)
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 1  tablespoon black pepper
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1⁄2 cup  Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (Franca uses 2 frozen hotdog buns with italian seasoning-in food processor)
• 8  ounces milk
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  yellow onion
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil (sounds like a lot, but this is what gives the sauce that traditional orange-ish color)
• 3 (28 ounce) cans tomato sauce (Franca likes Star Cross brand)
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  tablespoon dried basil
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Meatballs: In large bowl, add bread crumbs and slowly pour in milk until the bread crumbs get soupy, but aren't swimming, and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add remainder of meatball ingredients: meat, eggs, cheese, garlic powder, 1 Tbspn black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, parsley. Mix well, then form small balls (~1" diameter) and place them gently into a large pot of your favorite sauce to simmer for low and slow for 3 hours.
3. See below for Rose's sauce.
4. Sauce: In large sauce pot, saute chopped onion in all of the olive oil under low-medium heat for about 5-minutes, or when onion starts to turn clear.
5. Add chopped garlic to the onion and saute another 2-3 minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce to the onion saute and bring to a boil (uncovered), stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer.
7. Add remainder of ingredients (basil, salt, pepper), and mix well.
8. Now add meatballs, and let sauce low-simmer for 3 hours uncovered, carefully stirring occasionally (don't break balls) and scraping side of pot and mix with sauce. Don't stir pot until the meatballs have simmered for at least 15 minutes or they will break apart!
9. Carefully remove meatballs, placing in a separate serving dish. Serve sauce over your favorite pasta, top with more pecorino romano cheese, and enjoy!
10. Sauce is enough for at least 6-8 servings (if using 3 (28 oz.) cans of sauce.