Jo’s Spaghetti and Meatball Sauce
Here is an old family recipe, passed down through generations, all the way from the old country…Sicily, that is!
You will need a very large pot unless you cut this recipe in half, but why not make a whole batch to share with family and friends, or freeze to enjoy again on another day! Thanks to Jo and her daughter Jacki for sharing the old family secret…shhhhh!
Ingredients:
- 6 or 7 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 lb. of ground beef
- 2 lbs. of Italian sausage (not in casings). Spicy sausage can be used, depending on your preference.
- 6 28-ounce (1 lb. 12 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes (If you can, use the imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes.)
- 1 10-ounce can of tomato paste
- 1 can water (Jo used one of the empty cans of crushed tomatoes)
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried crushed basil
- Red pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (Jo says this will cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
- Fresh basil (optional)
Here is the secret ingredient!
2 packages or about 6-7 ham hocks! (Make sure they are not smoked.) Yes, girlfriends, this will take this sauce over the top with flavor and richness.
Jo boils them first and sets them aside until just the right moment.
Directions:
- Prep the garlic and onions.
- Heat the pot over medium heat, and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a very large stock pot with a thin layer. Jo doesn’t use measurements, but my guess is that it was about 4 tablespoons.
- Sauté the onions until very tender, being careful to not brown them. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes longer until the garlic is fragrant and tender.
- Now brown the meat, breaking up the sausage and ground beef with a spoon.
- When the meat is browned, add the tomato paste and combine well before adding all the crushed tomatoes.
- Add the 28-ounce can of water and the red wine.
- Stir in the spices and sugar and reduce the heat to medium low until the sauce begins to simmer.
- Now add the baking soda, sprinkling over the simmering sauce.
- Once the sauce is simmering and you have added all the other ingredients, now is the moment for our secret! Add all the ham hocks to the sauce and let simmer gently for 2–3 hours.
- Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking!
- Remove the ham hocks (If you prefer, you can remove the meat and add it back to the sauce) and there you have Mom Jo’s amazing old world spaghetti sauce!
- Before serving, you can chop fresh basil and sprinkle on top.
Jo also brought over some of her fresh meatballs to add to the sauce in the last 20 minutes. She didn’t share this wonderful recipe with me (maybe next time!) but here are the base ingredients that she mentioned: a combination of pork, beef, bread crumbs, and cheese, formed in to large golf size balls and browned in oil but not cooked through. The meatballs will finish their cooking time in the sauce, adding yet another layer of deliciousness!
10 comments
Maria | April 24, 2012
Great recipe. Our Italian family recipe is very similar only we use pork neck bones, but I will be trying the ham hocks. Her recipe is almost identical to ours!
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Joyce | April 24, 2012
What to replace wine with?? Thanks.... Greg, you must be the best grandpa in the world, a handful and a blessing at the same time... Poor Cathe
Cathe | April 25, 2012
Hi. Joyce,
The best de-alcoholized wine I've heard of and have recommended in the past is from Ariel Vineyards.
They claim it has won gold medals against wines with alcohol.
Check it out online at www.arielvineyards.com
Lois | April 25, 2012
This is a gotta try recipe, and being part Italian I love a good pasta sauce.
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Maria DeLourdes | April 25, 2012
Cathe, This recipe sounds delicious--How many people does it feed? One ingredient is 6 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes --- 6 of these cans? Is this correct? I am guessing I will need a very big soup pot.
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Angela | April 25, 2012
Should more water be added if not using the wine, or is there another substitute you recommend?
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Vicky | April 25, 2012
To eliminate a lot of calories I use ground turkey for the meatballs and to save time I flatten them slightly so they cook faster and fit in a sandwich roll easier. I add chopped parsley instead of cheese. I like to make a large batch so if a bunch of my son's friends show up, everyone has plenty. They are so glad when I tell them it's turkey (not beef) cuz they are rock climbers and like to eat healthy.
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Dora | April 25, 2012
Love, love, loved watching this video. I make a pot of sauce most Sundays, but never used ham hocks. I will try it. The background music was awesome. Your family is truely blessed.
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Lori | April 25, 2012
Thanks for posting the recipe. I saw the video the other day on Greg's blog but didn't get all the ingredients. Can't wait to try it.
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Jo | April 26, 2012
This was so much fun to watch...I am making a half portion this weekend...question - It did not show Jo adding red wine..I have no issue cooking with wine, but want to make sure it's part of this yummy looking recipe...thanks!
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Walter | April 27, 2012
Whoa! That sauce is the real deal bachagaloop....fuhgeddaaboutit! Great job GL and CL. My brother Michael Franzese will be proud of you.
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Mila | June 1, 2012
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I am looking forward to more video recipes. You're such a blessing to many.
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Heather | June 12, 2012
Hi! I am so embarrassed but last summer I was searching this site for an amazing fresh tomato sauce that you had posted either here or on Facebook....it was very simple...plum tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil....Brittany so graciously found it for me and do you think I bookmarked it or wrote down the recipe?!!!! :(
I would be forever indebted to anyone who might once more lead me to this recipe...this time I promise I will write it down and place it in my recipe box...thanks so very much!!!!!
Love in Christ,
Heather
Virtue | June 12, 2012
Hi Heather,
Here is Cathe’s FB post you were looking for again.... Enjoy!
I enjoy “American” spaghetti as much as anyone, but when we went to Italy this past spring, I fell in love with their fresh, simple style of serving pasta with just a few fabulous ingredients.
One Sunday a few weeks ago, I was given a huge basket of home grown tomatoes. Tucked in a sweet note was this recipe.
I think it stands up to the best of what we had enjoyed in Rome. Only you must be sure you use fresh and flavorful ripe tomatoes.
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons divided
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
5 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 lb speghetti
1/2 cup torn basil
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano
Put a large pot of salted water on for the pasta. Meanwhile, prepare your sauce. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil to medium. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant (do not brown it), about 1 minute or less. Add the tomatoes and cook them for 3-5 miniutes, just until they begin to release some of their juice.
Cook the pasta in the pot of salted boiling water for 12 minutes until al dente.
Drain the pasta. Add the pasta and basl to the pan with the tomatoes and toss.
Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Serve the pasta in bowls, and top with grated Parmesan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pasta and serve immediately!
Buono Appatito!
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Frankie | December 1, 2023
Thank you. I've been searching for this receipe! I knew it...years ago there was an Italian owner of a Meat Market and I passed his shop everyday on my way home from work. He told me hamhocks were used in spaghetti sauce! I've never found the receipe though. He and I "very fondly" debated that the Italians used hamhocks before Africian Americans did. I loved stopping by and chatting with him. So, I can't express how much I appreciate you for placing this recipe on the Web! By the way, I'm African American and hamhocks are a historically traditional dish in my culture. Thanks again!!!
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