Spaghetti and Meatballs, baked asparagus, and bread.

Spaghetti Sauce
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 large jars tomato sauce
Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh parsley, cut
In large pot cook onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add green pepper and garlic. Cook until tender. Add bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano and basil. Add tomato sauce and simmer for an hour. Stir in a pinch of sugar and parsley. Serve with meatballs over pasta.
Used 1 jar of mom's homemade tomato sauce, 3 8oz cans of tomato sauce, and maybe 1/3 can of tomato paste, a couple T sugar. Figure out better sauce, also would have liked it to be thicker. Only used about 1/2 onion, use more. I want tomatoes in this.

Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoon olive oilIn large bowl combine beef, onion, eggs and bread crumbs. Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form medium sized meatballs and set aside. In a heavy pot heat olive oil. Add meatballs 4 or 5 at a time and cook until well browned. Remove to a plate.
Maybe could have been a little more flavored. Used more bread crumbs. Used too much onion (put half an onion instead of 1/2 C).

Used a pound of spaghetti. These were pretty proporionate amounts. It was good, I liked it.

Asparagus
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepperPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Snap or cut the dry stem ends off each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

I forgot to trim the aspargus, also should toss first in a bowl, and cook longer, maybe 25 minutes. But it was good.

Bread


Tony and I made this Wednesday night. Could have used a little more spice, maybe? And real cheese on top.