It's hard to beat homemade spaghetti and meatballs. What a crowd pleaser! The homemade sauce for this is made easier by adding the tomato paste last; less stirring is required. (If tomato paste is added earlier, the sauce is thicker and has less moisture, meaning it's more likely to scorch as it cooks.)

These meatballs have that sausage-like flavor, without the extra fat and additives that sausage typically has. Another convenience: The browned meatballs are put in the oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking. Less minding of the pan, but the meatballs don't fall apart as some tend to do.

Make a full batch of this large recipe and freeze half if necessary; the meatballs covered in sauce keep well in the freezer for 2 or more months. Feeds 8 or so.

Meatball Ingredients:

• 2 lb. ground beef
• 2 TBS. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. dry Italian herbs
• 1 tsp. dry sage
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
• dash nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. oatmeal
  
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. Parmesan
• 1/4 c. fresh, chopped parsley (optional)
  

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients:

• 6 c. (2 lb.) fine-chopped onion
• 8-10 garlic cloves (1/4 c.), minced
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 c. red wine (or 1/2 c. red wine vinegar)
• 8 oz. can tomato paste
• 2- 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (almost 2 quarts)
• 1 1/2 lb. pureed, steamed carrot for sweetness (or 1 c. ketchup)
  
• 1/2 TBS. salt
• 1/2 TBS. pepper
• 2 TBS. dry basil
• 2 lb. dry spaghetti (or less, if saving some of sauce and meatballs for the freezer)
  

For tomato sauce, saute' in a med. skillet with lid on: > 6 c. (2 lb.) fine-chopped onion > 8-10 garlic cloves (1/4 c.), minced > 1/4 c. olive oil

Stir occasionally, over med. high heat. Turn burner down as the onions soften, and remove the lid. Next add to the onion skillet: > 1 c. red wine (or 1/2 c. red wine vinegar)

Turn the burner up again to let the liquid boil off some, stirring occasionally. Last of all, add the mixture to a large bowl or pot, mixing in the remaining ingredients: > 8 oz. can tomato paste > 2- 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (almost 2 quarts) > 1/2 TBS. salt > 1/2 TBS. pepper > 2 TBS. dry basil > 1 1/2 lb.  pureed, steamed carrot (or substitute 1 c. ketchup)

For meatballs, mix all the meatball ingredients together. Ideally, scoop meatballs w/cookie scoop (or hand-roll). Brown batches of meatballs in large iron skillet. Remove to cookie sheet when browned, continuing with process. When finished browning, bake meatballs in 300 degree oven for 20 minutes to cook thoroughly. Add meatballs to tomato sauce, serve w/cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. To freeze some of it, store in plastic pint containers (or freezer bags), covered with the tomato sauce.