This recipe was collected at the Laguardia Senior Center and was included as number 6 in our public video installation, Fables.
Serves 6 | Cook Time 2 hours
Ingredients
Sauce
8 Quart Large Stock Pot
¼ - ½ Cup of Vegetable Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion
12 Links of Pork Sausage
5 Cloves of Garlic
2 - 12 Ounce Cans of Tomato Puree
2 - Ounce Cans of Tomato Paste
6 Ounces of Water
1 Tablespoons of Sugar
3 Pinches of Basil
3 Pinches of Oregano
½ Sprig of Parsley
Meatballs
Large Pot
2 Pounds of Ground Turkey
2 Large Eggs
4 Ounces of Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ Cup of Water
½ Sprig of Parsley
½ Cup of Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
1 Pinch of Oregano
1 Pinch of Basil
Pasta
Large Soup Pot
1 Pound of Penne Pasta
¾ Pot of Water
Instructions
1. Sauce preparation: Pour ¼ to ½ cup of vegetable oil into your large 8 quart stock pot. Dice one whole large sweet onion and add to the pot. Rinse sausage links and cut 3 - 4 holes in each before placing them in the pot as well. Dice your garlic and add to the pot last. Place the lid over the pot and let cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. Stir well, lower the heat and let simmer till the onions and garlic are soft and the links are browned. When the garlic is soft remove it from the pot and mash it before adding it back in. When meat is fully cooked remove the lid and let simmer till the oil has evaporated.
2. Meatball preparation: Churn 2 pounds of ground turkey with 2 large eggs by hand in a large pot. Add 4 ounces of parmesan cheese, 2 diced cloves of garlic, ½ sprig of finely chopped parsley (without stems), ½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, one pinch of oregano and one pinch of basil. Add ¼ cup of water and hand churn thoroughly till seasonings are evenly spread throughout the mixture. Add bread crumbs as desired if the mixture is too wet. Let the mixture sit in the fridge until ready for use.
3. Sauce preparation continued: Finely chop ½ a sprig of parsley to be added to the sauce later. When the oil has evaporated from the pot add two 6 ounce cans of tomato paste and mix. You can then add two 12 ounce cans of tomato puree and 6 ounces of water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 pinches of basil, 3 pinches of oregano and finally, the ½ sprig of parsley. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes and then add your meatballs.
4. Meatball preparation continued: Remove your seasoned meat from the fridge and one handful at a time; roll the meat into balls, each smaller than a baseball but larger than a golf ball. When the meatballs are well rounded, you may drop them into the sauce to cook. Keep the sauce at a simmer for 1 ½ hours to cook the meatballs all the way through. Do not stir the sauce until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
5. Pasta preparation: Fill a large soup pot ¾ of the way with water and set it on the stove to boil. When the water has begun to boil, add 1 pound of penne pasta and let it cook till the pasta is tender. You can test the tenderness with a fork. Once fully cooked; drain the pasta.
6. Serving suggestion: Add 2 large spoonfuls of macaroni or penne pasta to a plate and generously pour on the sauce with 2 meatballs and 2 sausage links to accompany it. Serve and enjoy
