Sunday Gravy

Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 (28 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck (85% lean/15%fat)
• 4 slices bread (make fresh crumbs in blender or food processor)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper (a few grinds)
• 1/2 cup grated romano cheese or 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons water
• flour (for dredging)
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1 lb sweet italian sausage links or 1 lb hot italian sausage

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in very large dutch oven.
• 2 add garlic and onions and saute until soft.
• 3 add tomato paste and stir to combine.
• 4 add crushed tomatoes and spices.
• 5 stir bring to boil, lower heat to low--cover and simmer.
• 6 meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients (except for flour and oil).
• 7 form into balls about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.
• 8 dredge meatballs in flour.
• 9 fry meatballs in oil in skillet a few at a time until browned on all sides (not necessary to cook through they will cook in the sauce) add fried meatballs from skillet directly to simmering sauce.
• 10 stir and bring sauce back to a simmer.
• 11 cover.
• 12 place sausage in pot and cover with water.
• 13 bring to a boil and boil about 5 minutes to remove some of the fat.
• 14 brown boiled sausage in skillet.
• 15 place browned sausage in simmering sauce.
• 16 bring sauce back to simmer---cover and continue simmering for 2 hours over low heat---stir occassioanlly.
• 17 remove meatballs and sausage from pot and place on serving dish.
• 18 toss sauce with cooked pasta--you will have enough sauce to coat two pounds of cooked pasta.
• 19 this freezes very well!