throwback Thursday...meatballs & pasta sauce

Today's throwback recipe is from my Aunt Leona...she was a switchboard operator for AT&T (seriously, did I just read an article asking "What were switchboard operators for, anyway?" Yikes!)

 

I remember her as a quiet, elegant lady who lived in a pretty home with leaded glass French doors separating the living room from the dining room. (Isn't it funny what particulars we remember from childhood?) 

I'm lucky to have inherited from her a hand-painted china tea set, delicate English china plates, and an over-sized cup & saucer in bold yellows & greens...all are safely tucked in a cupboard, coming out only on special occasions.

And so, with that little story, I give you her meatball & pasta sauce recipe...

(As I mentioned last week, the recipe is true to the original, just as it was written. Below the recipe, I've noted any changes I made, or would make the next time I prepare it, with an asterisk explaining why.)

Leona's Meatballs & Pasta Sauce

Sauce:

2, 29-oz. cans tomato sauce

2, 6-oz. cans tomato paste

2 t. dried basil

1 T. salt*

1/4 t. pepper

Meatballs:

1-1/2 lbs. ground chuck beef

1/2  lb. ground pork

3 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 c. grated Italian cheese

1/2 c. dried bread crumbs 

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. olive oil

Combine sauce ingredients in a large saucepan; set aside.

Combine all meatball ingredients, except eggs and oil; mixing well. Add eggs to meatball mixture; blend together with a wooden spoon.

With wet hands, shape meat and roll into balls.* Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, brown in hot oil; turning once. Add to sauce ingredients, simmer 3 hours.

*1 T. salt

clearly written as "Tablespoon" this resulted in a sauce that was too salty for me...when I make it again, I'll reduce the amount.

* meatballs

I used approximately a tablespoon +/- of mixture, resulting in about 36 meatballs