Submitted by Jill Miller

I got this recipe from a coworker at a previous job. It cannot be beaten when you use fresh herbs and has quickly become a family favorite.

Sauce

1 large can of whole tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
4 small cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 cup grated Romano cheese
4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 lb. of lean ground beef (1 lb. if not adding meatballs)
6 tsp. fresh basil
4 tsp. fresh parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1 pinch rosemary
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions:
Pan fry ground beef well. Drain and dry and set aside.

Peel the garlic cloves and chop fine. Fry lightly in olive oil in the bottom of a large sauce pan for a short time. Do not brown the garlic. Note:The low-fat version would skip the olive oil and simply add the garlic directly to the tomatoes with the spices.

Add all of the tomato products and water to the sauce pan. Mix well to break up the paste. Cook on medium heat.

Add the grated romano cheese and stir well to prevent clumping. Add the cooked dried beef. Chop the spice fine and add to the mixture. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with no lid for a minimum of 3 hours.

Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:
Finely chop garlic and mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Make about 20 meatballs from the mixture. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Drain fat and pat with paper towel. Add meatballs to sauce.