For years, grandma Mary Jo’s Spaghetti Sauce and Meatball recipe has been a family secret. Many have tried to duplicate, most have failed, some have died. Well the time has come to spread the joy. Below you will find the ingredients and cooking directions for Mary Jo’s Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs. Remember, the beauty of Mary Jo’s recipe is its simplicity and flexibility. There is ample room for experimentation to find what best suits your needs. Enjoy.
In a good-size cooking bowl, combine and let simmer for several hours:
fresh, minced parsley
4 large cloves of garlic
¼ cup extra light olive oil
1 can tomato sauce (Mary Jo prefers Hunt’s Tomato Sauce or homemade)
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (preferably Progresso)
½ spoonful of sugar
3 large bay leaves
salt
generous quantity of pepper and oregano
For 9-12 full-size meatballs:
1 lb of ground round beef (Mary Jo prefers a leaner beef)
1 egg
generous salt & pepper
McCormick Garlic Powder with Parsley
½ tsp of grated parmesan
Bread crumbs (Progresso Italian Style breadcrumbs or day old bread, moistened)
Combine ingredients, refrigerate 2 hours ahead of cooking time, cook in spaghetti sauce at slight simmer for 20 minutes
That’s it. Surprisingly basic ingredients, surprisingly simple recipe. What makes Mary Jo’s Spaghetti so special is the love you put in, folks. Love is the most important ingredient of all.