Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

A hearty, long-simmered family-style spaghetti sauce made with tomatoes, Burgundy wine, Italian sausage and either ground chuck or homemade meatballs. Anise seed and Italian herbs give the sauce its distinctive flavor, while several hours of slow simmering bring everything together into a rich, robust sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

Servings: About 8–10
Prep Time: About 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3–4 hours

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, puréed in a blender or food processor
• 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 cups Burgundy wine
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon anise seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs (Spice Islands)
• 1 package Lawry’s Extra Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix
• 1 pound ground chuck, omit if making the meatballs below
• 4 Italian sausages, browned and cut into bite-size pieces

For the Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ cup milk
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. Remove the onion and set aside.
2. If making the sauce with ground chuck, add the ground beef to the same skillet and brown it in the remaining oil. Remove and set aside.
3. If making meatballs instead, omit the additional pound of ground chuck and prepare the meatballs as directed below. Brown them in the skillet and set aside.
4. Brown the Italian sausages until cooked. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.
5. Purée the whole tomatoes in a blender or food processor and transfer them to a large, heavy pot.
6. Add the tomato paste, Burgundy wine, sugar, salt, pepper, anise seeds, bay leaf, Italian herbs and Lawry’s sauce mix. Stir thoroughly.
7. Add the cooked onions, Italian sausage and either the browned ground chuck or the meatballs.
8. Simmer gently for 3–4 hours, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking or scorching.
9. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

To Make the Meatballs:

1. Place the ground chuck, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, milk, beaten eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly, taking care not to overwork the meat.
3. Form the mixture into meatballs.
4. Brown the meatballs in olive oil.
5. Add the browned meatballs to the prepared spaghetti sauce and simmer with the sauce for 3–4 hours.

Tip: This recipe gives you two options: ground chuck and Italian sausage, or homemade meatballs and Italian sausage. If making the meatballs, don't also add the separate pound of ground chuck listed in the sauce ingredients.

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