East Boston Meatballs and Pasta Sauce

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♼ Recipe origin is unknown. East boston meatballs and pasta sauce recipe, recipe Rating: 4.5
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This sauce is the best you’ve ever had, just like ‘Momma’ used to make.
Ready in: 1 hour 45 mins

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 2 split pigs feet
• 1/4 cup Italian olive oil (not EVOO)
• Meatballs:
• 6 pounds ground beef
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 3 eggs
• 8 ounces Italian style bread crumbs
• 3 large sweet onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons ground dried oregano
• 4 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• Sauce:
• 2 large sweet onions, diced
• 2 large green bell peppers, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 4 (14 ounce) cans Contadina(R) tomato sauce
• 2 (6 ounce) cans Contadina(R) tomato paste
• 2 pinches oregano
• 4 pinches basil
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 bunch washed Italian parsley

Preparation method

Prep: 45 mins | Cook: 1 hour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, simmer pigs feet in Italian olive oil to render fat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, fold the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, Italian-style bread crumbs, the 3 onions, 2 t. oregano, 4 t. basil, and 2 t. black pepper.
4. Shape 24 meatballs and lightly brown in the Italian olive oil and rendered fat. Finally, place them 1/2 inch apart on a large oiled baking pan.
5. Bake until inner temperature is 145 degrees F, remove and let stand in simmering sauce for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices.
6. Sauce: In a skillet with pigs feet and olive oil, lightly brown diced green pepper and onion, sweat the minced garlic and mushrooms, then add tomato sauce and paste, stirring, and add the oregano, basil, and sugar. Simmer, stirring periodically, until thick, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs and sauce over choice of pasta with a sprig of Italian parsley.