Grandma Schilling's Spaghetti Sauce

I really debated about whether or not to share this recipe. It's been in my family for many years. Grandma, my mom, my aunts, cousins, my brother, and I all make this very same sauce. The funny thing is, even though we all follow it to the letter, each person's tastes just a little bit different. Enjoy!

1 medium onion, diced
2 -3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 (18 oz) cans tomato paste + 1 can of water to each
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (29 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbls. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbls. oregano

Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil, until very tender.

In the meantime, make the meatballs.



Combine the tomato paste, water, sauce, and crushed tomatoes in a large roasting pan. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Whisk well, making sure that everything is incorporated.


Add sauteed garlic, and onion mixture to the sauce. Mix well.

Place meatballs on top of sauce.

Gently push them down until just covered with sauce.

Cover the roasting pan, and bake at 300 F for 3 -4 hours.

*I always double the meatball recipe. This freezes well for further meals. If you have a small family, you may get 4 -5 meals from this recipe. We get at least 3 meals for our crew of seven!


*Instead of meatballs, you might want to try adding Italian sweet or hot sausage to the sauce before baking. No need to cook the sausage first. You could also add a pork roast directly into the sauce. That's my mother's favorite way to make this. When the sauce is done, the roast is perfect!