North End Sunday Gravy - Spaghetti & Meatballs

This recipe is from the North End Italian Cookbook and it is the best "Sunday Gravy" or Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe! 

Get book here. 

My tweaks and notes:

The meat we use are ground chuck and ground pork (ask your meat department if it’s not out in the store) to make the meatballs and 1lb of Publix mild Italian sausage. 

If you end up using 2lbs of meat for the meatballs (1lb of each), be sure to adjust the meatball ingredients to:

2.5 eggs - whisked 
1c italian breadcrumbs
1/3c fresh chopped parsley
1/3c parmesan 
2 large garlic cloves
salt and pepper

If you end up using 2.5 lbs of meat for the meatballs (1.25 lbs of each), be sure to adjust the meatball ingredients to:

3 eggs - whisked
1 1/4c italian breadcrumbs
1/3c + 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/2c parmesan 
3 large garlic cloves
salt and pepper

For the sauce, I use Italian seasoning instead of mint. For the meatballs I use Italian bread crumbs and think it makes a difference. If the sauce tastes too bland, it usually needs a little more salt and seasonings. Check the sauce throughout the day to see if it needs more seasoning - you will play with it to get it just right as the flavors develop. I let the meat and sauce simmer for 4-8 hours on very low and turn off for awhile to rest, stirring occasionally. Make sure the meatballs get cooked to at least 165. The pork may still look a little pink, but it is cooked. 

Pro tip: keep some of the sauce and freeze and add to your next batch.