Spaghetti with Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs from Total Woman Cookbook

For Cooking Ahead, multiply this by four

2 Tbs. salad or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup grated carrots or 1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 can undiluted beef boullion
½ cup red grape juice (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 two pound, 3-ounce can tomatoes, undrained
2 six-ounce cans tomato paste
2 Tbs. parsley
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Dash of nutmeg

Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef
½ pound Italian sausage
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ pound Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup milk
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
½ cup chopped parsley

1 pound spaghetti or vermicelli
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. The day before make sauce. I usually put all of the ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low over night. The next morning I have sauce to use for lasagna and dinner ready for that night. Below are directions for preparing without the crock pot.
2. In hot oil, sauté onion, garlic, and celery for 5 minutes.
3. Add remaining sauce ingredients; mix well. Bring to boiling, stirring. Reduce heat; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for two hours. Set aside.
4. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs: In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except cheeses and spaghetti. Cut Cheddar or mozzarella cheese into ½ inch cubes. With moistened hands, shape mixture into meatballs 1 ½ inches in diameter, with cheese cubes in center. (Meatballs can be made on the day you prepare meatloaves. Broil and then freeze in Ziploc bags.)
5. Broil meatballs on all sides on cookie sheet with rim, shaking sheet occasionally. Add meatballs to sauce; simmer covered, 30 minutes longer. Refrigerate.
6. One half hour before serving, reheat and cook spaghetti as directed; drain. Mound spaghetti on large round platter; top with meatballs. Pour sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Tip:
It’s easy to keep pasta at piping-hot temperature. If you will be using the pasta shortly after cooking, return the drained pasta to the empty cooking pan, add butter, then cover the pasta to keep it warm. If the pasta won’t be used for 20 minutes or more, drain it in a colander and place the colander over a pan containing a small amount of boiling water. Coat pasta with three to four tablespoons butter to keep it from sticking. Cover the colander.