GRAMMA PANDOLFI'S PASTA SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the tomato sauce:
• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 6-8 minutes. Crumble sausage, beef, and pork with your fingers into onion mixture. Add kosher salt, pepper, celery salt, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 8.
• Cook the meatballs:
• Meanwhile, combine sausage, beef, pork, onion, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, kosher salt, pepper, celery salt, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Using your hands, form mixture into 1" balls and chill until sauce is ready.
• When sauce is ready, heat 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add meatballs (without crowding) and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Transfer meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet as you finish cooking each batch.
• Reserve 2 cups tomato sauce, then add meatballs to remaining sauce in stockpot. If your pot is not large enough, divide sauce and meatballs between 2 pots. Cover and continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 10-15 minutes.
• Cook spaghetti and serve:
• When meatballs and sauce are almost ready, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and return pasta to pot over medium-low heat. Spoon reserved 2 cups tomato sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed to loosen sauce and coat pasta.
• Divide pasta among plates and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Do Ahead
• Sauce can be made, cooled, and chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Meatballs can be shaped and chilled 1 day ahead. Meatballs can be cooked in sauce, cooled, and chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.