Pasta Gravy
 

don't give me :hmm: till you've tried it...

the balls...

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 c onion finely minced
1/2 c grated romano
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 c fresh parsley finely chopped
1 T garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

in a large bowl mix it all together and form into 1" balls - makes about 2 dozen

1 1/2 - 2 lb's baby back ribs seperated

the gravy...

1/4 c olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 28 oz can tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 T garlic powder
1 t oregano - or more to taste
1 T sugar
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

in a large non-reactive pot heat the oil over medium and brown the ribs

after 4 - 5 minutes remove the ribs to a large bowl and brown the balls in batches - moving them to the rib bowl when that's done

add the onion to the pot for 1 minute - add the garlic stirring with a wooden spoon to get any bits up for 1 minute

add the tomatoes and 1 28 oz can of water stirring to combine

add the tomato paste and 4 6 oz cans of water stirring to combine

add the garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper

bring it up to a simmer for 10 minutes then add the ribs and the balls and their juices

cook at a simmer for 2 - 3 hours occasionally stirring CAREFULLY

call the neighbors

makes enough for 2 pounds of pasta (ziti, s'ghetti, ravioli and great in lasagna)

any leftover is easliy frozen :thumbsup:

Old Italiam Momma suggestion on the meatballs... Add about 1/2 cup of water to them, and instead of cooking them i a skillet, cook them in the oven. The water in the meat mixture will evaporate and you are left with incredibly tender meatballs... Cooking them in the oven, browns them nicely, plus you don't have to stand over the stove watching grease splatter everywhere... :)

Every person of Italian decent that I ever knew has always called Spaghetti Sauce, or meat sauce - Gravy...

I couldn't help it...I chuckled at "after 4 - 5 minutes remove the ribs to a large bowl and brown the balls in batches - moving them to the rib bowl when that's done". It's so.....
'Law and Order'ish or maybe 'CSI':lol:

i don't do them in a skillet - i do them in the pot

When it came to meatballs I actually rather liked when they were fried in a skillet because it makes the outsides a bit crunchier than when they are baked... more of a german style than an Italian one. But that is just a personal preference.

thanks for the recipe hanxter.. i would try cooking it at home.

Oooh someone else who refers to it as gravy! And yeah, cooking the meatballs in the sauce is they way to go.

I got this recipe from Hanx years ago and finally got around to making it a few months ago. I've made it twice now and its awesome. I use beef short ribs instead of the baby backs and add a bit of crushed red pepper for some spice. And this time I didn't feel like making the balls so I picked up some sweet Italian sausage from the butcher at the grocery and used that instead.