Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
Contributed by Susan

Sauce
1 pound hot italian sausage (or 2 pounds, if omitting meatballs for
  lasagne)
2 10 3/4 oz cans tomato puree
1 12 oz can tomato paste
26 oz water
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 t sugar
1/2 t basil (I either use chopped fresh in season or crushed that I keep
in my freezer during off-season)
3 t italian seasoning
2 t salt
2 t pepper

Meatballs
1 pound hamburger
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 T bread crumbs
2 small pinches basil (use fresh, if possible)
1/2 t salt
1 clove chopped garlic
2 eggs
1/4 c water
1/8 t salt

Brown sausage and drain most of the fat. Meanwhile, combine the rest of
the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the browned sausage and
let simmer.

Preheat oven to 325°. In a mixing bowl combine first six meatball
ingredients and mix with hands until well-blended. In a separate bowl
combine last three ingredients, beat well, and add to hamburger mixture.
Mix well and then form small meatballs in a single layer of a large
baking dish. Cook at 325° for 15 minutes.

When done, add meatballs to simmering sauce and scrape excess fat into
sauce. Simmer sauce for at least two hours, or all day if possible.
Recipe works well in a crock pot.

Notes

This recipe was given to me by my friend Toni DeAmbra when she visited
me and wanted to cook a meal. It's her family's recipe. The original
recipe called for all dried seasonings, but I like using fresh basil and
oregano since I have them. She also used parmesan cheese from a can,
which is easier, but I like to use shredded asiago or real parmesan or
romano.