European Italian Main Dishes Beef Family Sicilian Sauce and Meatballs 4.7 (34) 31 Reviews 3 Photos My mother's family originally came from Sicily and every family member makes his or her own version - this version came most recently via Brooklyn. If there are any leftovers, they freeze very well. MANGIA! Serve with red wine and a good loaf of crusty Italian bread. Submitted by PETEIYC Updated on April 3, 2019 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 3 Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 55 mins Servings: 24 Yield: 24 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Meatballs: 3 slices white bread, torn into pieces ¼ cup milk or water 1 ½ pounds ground beef 2 eggs ½ cup grated Romano cheese 1 pinch dried parsley ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Sauce: 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 onion, chopped 6 cloves garlic, chopped 12 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage 1 ½ pounds cubed beef brisket ½ pound pork neck bones 4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes ½ cup red wine 4 bay leaves ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried basil salt and pepper to taste 3 (16 ounce) packages dry pasta Directions To make the meatballs, combine bread and milk or water in a medium bowl. Mix in ground beef, eggs, Romano cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Form golf ball-sized meatballs; place into freezer to firm up. To make sauce, heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 1 sausage link; cook about 3 minutes more. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown beef chunks and pork neck bones; set aside. When onions and garlic are done, turn heat down to low. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the browned beef and pork, crushed tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, cinnamon, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Once you add the meatballs, let sauce simmer for 1 hour. When sauce is nearly ready, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Cover pasta with sauce and meatballs and serve immediately. Cook's Notes: Use your favorite meat and Italian red wine for this sauce and serve with your favorite pasta. This also is a great pizza sauce if you leave out about half of the meat. Remove pork neck bones before serving. If you freeze the sauce, let it thaw and add 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce to thin it slightly, if needed. I Made It Print 46 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 669 Calories 34g Fat 59g Carbs 31g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 24 Calories 669 % Daily Value * Total Fat 34g 44% Saturated Fat 13g 63% Cholesterol 105mg 35% Sodium 922mg 40% Total Carbohydrate 59g 21% Dietary Fiber 5g 19% Total Sugars 6g Protein 31g 62% Vitamin C 18mg 20% Calcium 113mg 9% Iron 6mg 32% Potassium 1005mg 21% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.