Italian Meatballs & Sauce

Hubbyhubby loves to make meatballs and
sauce with me on Sundays.  He pours two glasses of wine
and makes a nice charcuterie board of salami, cheese and olives.  We snack, drink wine and cook together.

Here's what you'll need:

1/4 cup lard or coconut oil
1/2 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning or fresh oregano, rosemary, thyme, savory, marjoram and basil finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 jars crushed tomatoes
2 jars chopped tomatoes
1 tube tomato paste

Here's what to do:
Saute onions in lard or oil until soft in an 8 quart stock pot
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrent
Stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
Stir in crushed tomatoes and chopped tomatoes
Stir in 4 cups water
Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 3 or until desired consistency.
If you are short on time add less water.

 Next:

3 pounds of grass fed ground beef or any combination of ground beef, veal, pork, lamb
1/2 cup Italian parsley chopped
1/2 onion and 4 cloves of garlic chopped and sauteed until soft, set aside to cool (in a pinch use 2 teaspoons dried garlic and dried onion)
3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
lard or coconut oil

Here's what to do:
In a large skillet melt enough lard or oil to come up 1/2 way on the pan
Mix all of the above ingredients together.
Form meatballs and cook until brown on the outside, but uncooked on the inside.
After each meatball browns drop into the hot sauce.  This cooks the inside.

What domestic task can you turn into romantic date time?

Enjoy and be in health.

This recipe was adapted with love from my grandma Anna Ciccarelli