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of the meats will be better when presented in the finished product. Brown meat(poke sausage to allow fat to drain off), drain fat from frying pan(cast iron, what else!), scrape stuck bits and add them to tomato sauce and of course, add meats and allow to simmer for a while. Most people cook the tomato sauce too long. It doesn't take more than an hour of simmer to cook everything and still have a fresh, bright red spaghetti sauce. Worth a mention, the darker the sauce, the longer it has been cooking. I will not eat at an Italian restaurant that serves any tomato sauce that is "maroon". It is not fresh. Cooking too long and holding overnight or for days will cause the sauce to darken It is best when fresh and not over cooked. Saute an onion and garlic (if you choose to use it) for a few minutes to soften Add 2 cans Whole Italian tomatoes, and about 1/2 can water. Add 1 can tomato paste.Plain, not Italian flavored. Mix well to incorporate paste. Bring to quick boil and then turn to simmer. Simmer 15 minutes, add more water if needed as sauce will thicken Add meats Simmer until meat is done. Simple as that. Freeze any unused portion. Will keep for ages. You may have to add another can of Italian tomatoes to your sauce if you use lots of meat, otherwise you will not have enough sauce. Again, thin with water if it gets too thick. If you make meatballs, add them with the meats. I do not use sugar in the sauce as we do not like a sweet sauce.
BTW: Meatballs can be browned in the oven, you do not have to mess up the stove by frying them. Just turn them once in the process to brown all sides. 350-360 degrees, bottom rack.
Simple ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs hamburg salt & pepper Parm cheese bread crumbs, parsley 1 egg minced garlic clove (small)
This is a good, simple meal that my Italian grandmother used to prepare. Sometimes she would add about a half cup of raisins to meatballs. Added a certain sweetness to the meat. This would be personal preference.
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