Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausages

This Italian classic, great any time of the year, made a wonderful holiday dinner for good friends this past weekend. The sauce tastes even better the second day, so it's a perfect do-ahead dish.

Buon appetito!

SPAGHETTI with MEATBALLS and SAUSAGES

For the Sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork (or a combination of veal and pork)
1 12-oz. can tomato paste
2 medium carrots
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 celery stalk
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
1 28-oz. can ground tomatoes, seed strained
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. marjoram
3-4 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup dry red wine
10-15 Italian sausages

For the Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork (or a combination of veal and pork)
1 cup dry Italian style breadcrumbs
1 egg
5 oz. tomato sauce (from a 15-oz. can - add remaining sauce to pot)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

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1. To make sauce, heat olive oil in large kettle and add meats, stirring until browned. Add tomato paste and fry several minutes, stirring often.

2. Process/chop carrots, celery, onion, peppers, and garlic in food processor. Add to meat and brown well.

3. Add tomato puree, sauce, and ground tomatoes. Add seasonings. Simmer sauce over low heat for 7 to 8 hours, the longer the better.

4. After about 4 hours, stir in grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup red wine. Prick sausages with a fork and add to sauce. Wait about 30 minutes, then gently add raw meatballs.

5. To Make Meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with hands, adding more tomato sauce to moisten if needed. Shape mixture into meatballs. Makes about 24.

6. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally (and carefully to keep from breaking meatballs) to keep sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve with pasta, salad, crusty bread, etc. Serves a small army, and leftovers freeze well.

Swedish Meatballs

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

We could always count on my mom to make Swedish meatballs during the holidays and for other festive occasions. Sometimes she served the rich, delicious meatballs as an appetizer with fancy toothpicks, other times she served them over egg noodles as a main course. Either way, we devoured the lot. Mom passed in 2010, but I think of her each time I make her recipe. The following is my rendition of this family favorite.

Ingredients:

2 pounds meatloaf blend*
1 cup homemade breadcrumbs from stale bread
1 cup milk
1 onion, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
pinch nutmeg
2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons flour
pinch lemon peel
1 cup sour cream
chopped dill or parsley for garnish
egg noodles (optional)

* Alternately use—as my mother did—1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, and ½ pound ground veal.

1. Blend meat, breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Meanwhile sauté minced onion in 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion, eggs, pepper, salt and nutmeg to meat. Mix well and roll into small balls.

2. Brown meatballs in 2 tablespoons butter. Remove meatballs from pan to clean bowl. To pan juice, add beef broth and whisk in flour until smooth. Add lemon peel. (The gravy will not be thick at this point.) Return meatballs to gravy and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Remove meatballs to serving bowl. Stir sour cream into gravy and heat. Pour gravy over meatballs and serve as appetizer or over egg noodles as main course. Garnish with dill or parsley.

6 generous main course servings. Enjoy!