1/2 lb. ground beef
3 T diced onion
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. worchestershire sauce
3 T parsley
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 slice fresh bread crumbled in the blender/food processor
Mix all these together with you hands in a bowl. Cover a cookie sheet with foil for easy clean-up, and roll into small/medium meatballs. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper on top. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, or till golden brown and cooked through. I add them to the sauce to simmer and add flavor to that while the pasta cooks.
*for sage meatballs add 1 t. ground sage instead of the garlic powder and omit the cheese. This adds a very yummy flavor, but not for italian-style.
Marinara Sauce:
I will try to start this 2 hours before I plan to eat dinner. The longer it simmers the better it gets. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion, or how much you like. (i keep chopped onion in my freezer since I rarely use a whole onion at a time)
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste plus one can water
1 can diced tomatoes(if your family doesn't like chunky sauce, don't add)
2 T sugar
1 t. italian seasoning
salt and pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes. (just a tiny bit, its surprising how little it takes to add a little kick)
Cook onion in oil in medium sauce-pan with a lid. Cook till starts to get soft. Add garlic and cook together till it just starts to turn brown. Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Don't taste right away, it takes awhile for the flavors to come through. Turn to low so its at a low simmer, and cover. Taste an hour later and add more seasonings or sugar, till it tastes right. Continue simmering till ready to use. (sometimes it gets too thick after simmering for so long, so I'll just add water till its the right consistency.)
