Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce:
3/4 pounds hot or sweet italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
5 - 14 1/2 ounce cans stewed tomatoes
1 - 15 ounce can tomato puree
1 can tomato paste
1/2 pound chopped mushrooms
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
Prepare meatballs: Combine all ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls. Arrange on pan and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until uniformly brown.
Prepare sauce: Coat a heavy 6-8 quart dutch oven with cooking spray. Brown sausage in pot, about 8 minutes. Discard drippings. Reduce heat to medium. Add meatballs, tomatoes and rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat, and simmer, covered, 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a pinch of sugar at the end of cooking time.
