Recipe: Little Joe’s Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce Big Food, Big Garden, Big Life

Absolutely delicious! Mr. Big Food ground a chuck roast for the meatballs. Nothin’ like it.

Photos of some prep cooking here.

From Little Joe’s, an old-time Italian restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. This all freezes well, so make the whole batch.

LITTLE JOE’S MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Serves 6-8

MEATBALLS

1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground veal
1 C onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 C fine dry bread crumbs (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)
4 eggs
¼ fresh parsley, chopped
Dash dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ C oil
Spaghetti Sauce

Combine all ingredients except oil and Sauce, mixing well. Form into 1 ½ inch balls. Heat Oil in skillet, add meatballs, cook until browned, then drain. Add meatballs to Spaghetti Sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Makes 5-6 C

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped fine

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp oil

28 oz whole, tomatoes, chopped (can use canned)

28 oz tomato puree

1 Tbsp dried basil, crumbled

1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

1 bay leaf

½ C dry red wine

1 C water

2 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes with their juice, tomato puree, basil, oregano, and bay leaf, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. Add wine, water, salt, and pepper, and simmer 1 hour longer. If sauce is too thick, add more water. When sauce is cooked, add cheese and stir well.