ZAPPA FAMILY SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Zappa Family Spaghetti Sauce image

I have spent a lifetime trying to duplicate the red sauce and meatball recipe my mother, Anne Marie Zappa, cooked every week when I was growing up. I'll never do it, but this is close. This is a forgiving recipe. Maybe you want to add a couple of chicken thighs, or mix in a few browned hot sausages. Just keep a good ration of pork to beef.

Provided by Kim Severson

Categories dinner, pastas, main course

Time 3h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound pork spareribs, neck bones or pork chops
1 pound beef chuck roast, blade steak or brisket
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably Italian
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 small or 2 large pickled peperoncini
Cooked meatballs
1 pound dried spaghetti for serving
Grated Parmesan for serving

Steps:

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over pork and beef. Place large pot over medium-high heat; when hot, add olive oil and brown meat. (Or cook meat in same pot used for meatballs, browning in the leftover fat.) Remove meat to a platter. Turning heat under pot to medium, add onions, and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes longer. Add tomato paste, and stir: cook until it absorbs fat in pan. Add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and bay leaf, stirring to combine.
Add cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce, then 4 1/2 cups water. Stir in sugar, parsley and peperoncini. Return meats to pot with their juices. Bring sauce to a gentle boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, partly cover and leave sauce to simmer 21/2 hours or more, stirring regularly.
About 20 minutes before serving, add meatballs to pot. Boil spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, return spaghetti to pan and add 3 cups sauce. Toss pasta in pan for a minute to coat with sauce, and place on a large platter. Pour 2 more cups sauce over pasta. Place meat and meatballs on pasta, slicing large pieces. Serve with bowls of remaining sauce and Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 303, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 28 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 966 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams