Schweitzer Family Recipes

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for sautéing
• 3 pounds Roma tomatoes, quartered with skins on
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2–3 tablespoons jarred minced garlic
• 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 bag (28 ounces) frozen meatballs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8–16 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Paprika, to taste
• 1/2–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional; considered for version 1.1)

Instructions

1. Remove the Italian sausage from its casings, crumble, and brown in a skillet. Set aside.
2. Warm olive oil in a large pot and sauté the diced onion and carrot until softened.
3. Add the jarred minced garlic and the optional tomato paste, if using, and cook briefly while stirring.
4. Add the quartered Roma tomatoes with their skins on, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
5. Simmer for about 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are very soft and the carrot is tender. Twenty minutes was insufficient when the family made this sauce; about 30 minutes worked.
6. Blend the tomato mixture with an immersion blender until smooth, before adding any dairy.
7. Stir in the heavy cream, then the freshly grated Parmesan.
8. Add the browned crumbled sausage and frozen meatballs.
9. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through, following the package's cooking directions.

Ingredients

• Penne Pasta, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and serve with the tomato cream sauce.