MeMe's Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage is a recipe based on my grandmother's recipe. She didn't measure all of her ingredients, so this is my best recreation of her famous sauce and meatballs.

My grandmother made the best spaghetti sauce of all time. It's a recipe that I'm sure I will never perfect because MeMe didn't measure all of her ingredients. She used a palm-full of this and a shake or two of that.

I was taught to make our family sauce by my oldest sister while visiting her and her family for the birth of their son. She has come up with her version of the recipe, and when I returned home I set out to make mine. Meem's recipe includes browning meatballs and Italian sausage in a frying pan and allowing them to finish cooking in the sauce as it bakes in a roaster in the oven. I've found that when I make it without the sausage and meatballs it doesn't taste quite like Meem's.

I've fiddled with the ingredients and have come up with a recipe that I love and is close to the way I remember it tasting throughout the years. I use red wine in my sauce, which my grandmother does not, but I like the flavor it adds.

Remember to always use good wine to cook with! The saying goes that you should never use a wine in your cooking that you wouldn't drink, so quality is key.

Finally, there's a little trick that I learned from Meem when it comes to the Italian sausage. We use sweet and hot, so to differentiate between the two, cut the hot sausage in small pieces and the sweet into long ones. That way you know what you're getting when you finally dig in!

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Homemade spaghetti sauce is made by combining canned tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, and wine. Meatballs and Italian sausage cook in the sauce for ultimate flavor. See below for detailed recipe instructions.

WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE AN OVEN ROASTER?

An enamel-coated steel roaster is recommended for this recipe. If you do not have an oven roaster like this, you can cook the sauce in your slow cooker on high for four hours. I promise, though, the oven is better!

WHAT KIND OF CANNED TOMATOES SHOULD I USE FOR HOMEMADE SAUCE?

To make homemade spaghetti sauce, use canned crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes sometimes have added basil or garlic, which is fine to use for this recipe.

CAN I MAKE THIS SAUCE WITHOUT MEAT?

You can make this spaghetti sauce a meatless sauce, but the flavor is much richer and with the addition of meatballs and sausage. I suggest not skipping them!

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Store homemade spaghetti sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Store any unused sauce in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to four months.

MORE ITALIAN-INSPIRED DINNER IDEAS

Looking for more Italian inspired dinners recipes to try? Check out some reader favorites from the archives:

Pictured:
Asiago and Artichoke Lasagna Rolls
Eggplant Rollatini Rosa
Easy Spaghetti Casserole
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Skillet

If you try this recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs and sausage, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below. Enjoy!

12 servings

MeMe's Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs and Italian Sausage

prep time: 30 MINcook time: 90 MINtotal time: 2 HOURS

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS & SAUSAGE
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 links sweet Italian sausage, each link cut into 3 pieces
2 links hot Italian sausage, each link cut into 4 pieces

FOR THE SAUCE
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup red wine

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, ground beef, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg, and garlic powder. (The best way to do this is with your hands.) Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs.

3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Add the Italian sausage to the pan and brown on all sides. Transfer to the plate with the meatballs.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and the garlic to the same pan, adding a little more olive oil if needed. Saute until the onions are translucent. Transfer the onions and garlic to a large oven roaster.

5. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, sugar, and wine to the roaster and stir until all ingredients are well mixed.

6. Add the meatballs and sausage to the sauce, making sure they are all completely submerged.

7. Bake the sauce, uncovered, in the oven for 1 1/2 hours at 350°. Carefully stir occasionally while it cooks. Test the meatballs and sausage for doneness and cook for additional time if needed.

NOTES

Author: Becky

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Meme's Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs and Italian Sausage