- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, cut into medium dice
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 (4 ounce) links Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- Heat oil in a large soup kettle over medium-high heat; add onions to the pan and cook until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaves and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until sauce is thick, about 45 minutes.
- As sauce simmers do the following: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages to the pan; fry turning as needed, until well-browned, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder and egg; form into 12 balls. Remove sausage from pan to simmering sauce and add meatballs to skillet. Fry meatballs, turning as needed, until brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove meatballs from skillet and add to simmering sauce.
- Simmer meatballs, Italian sausage and sauce for an additional 15 minutes, to meld flavors. Serve over pasta.