Old Fashioned Sicilian Succo Recipe

I initially tried and reviewed this recipe in January 2007, and I have continued to make it numerous times since then. It has become our absolute favorite meatball and sauce recipe. I prefer not using tomato sauce and instead opt to bake the meatballs for a few minutes to achieve a browned exterior, rather than frying them. I typically use crushed or ground tomatoes and always include chopped onions. Occasionally, I add chopped roasted red peppers or carrots for a touch of sweetness if the tomatoes are too acidic. The leftover sauce works wonderfully as a pizza sauce. We recently used it on the Brick-oven pizza from this site, another favorite of ours, and it was fantastic. For a twist, try adding thin slices of the meatballs to the pizza before baking - it's absolutely delicious. Sometimes, we double the meatball recipe to make meatball sandwiches, and it also makes a fantastic addition to lasagna. We truly enjoy both the sauce and the meatballs in this recipe.

As someone married into a Sicilian family, the author's remarks really resonated with me. The mention of the "secret business" hit close to home, just like in my wife's family. Rather than frying, I decided to gently place the meatballs into the sauce, allowing the flavors of the meat to meld with the gravy. I also included both hot and mild Italian sausage links in the sauce, cooking them alongside the meatballs. The resulting blend of sauce, sausage links, and meatballs is truly unbeatable.

The sauce was bland and too thick and acidic for my liking. Despite cooking it for the recommended 4 hours at the lowest temperature, it ended up sticking to the bottom of the pan due to its thickness. On the positive side, the meatballs themselves were delicious. I ultimately served the meatballs with a jarred sauce I had on hand for emergencies, as I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the homemade sauce. While I can't comprehend the rave reviews the sauce received, the meatballs were a hit with both the kids and grandkids. Leftovers were happily taken home by them, but the sauce was certainly forgettable.

Review rephrased: "The dish was incredibly tasty and produced a generous amount of sauce. To enhance the flavor, I included a sizable yellow onion that was chopped, a tablespoon of red pepper flakes for a subtle heat, and a sprinkle of oregano. For the meatballs, I seasoned them with black pepper and added one egg. The overall result was exceptionally delicious!"

I have made some modifications that I believe enhance the recipe. I replaced garlic powder with fresh cloves of garlic and included Italian sausage links, eggs, and parsley in the meat mixture. Instead of frying the meatballs, I added them raw to the sauce to cook. This method may result in increased grease, but it can be easily removed by allowing the sauce to cool and removing the congealed grease from the top. These changes may transform the recipe into something entirely new, but I highly recommend trying it as the end result is truly delicious.

This dish reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. She would roast a beef roast and let it simmer in a flavorful sauce. She would also fry delicious meatballs separately, then combine them with the roasted meat in the sauce. Additionally, she would fry a large batch of eggs and let them simmer in the sauce while preparing the pasta. As a child, this meal was my absolute favorite that she made for us. The assortment of simmered roast, meatballs, fried eggs, and a huge bowl of spaghetti with the sauce on top was simply amazing. I particularly enjoyed the savory flavor of the simmered fried eggs. Nowadays, I am the only one in the family who cooks this dish for our gatherings. Whenever my husband requests it, he always raves about how fantastic it is. Even all seven of my grandchildren love it. Perhaps it's time for me to pass on the recipe to one of them.

These meatballs lack flavor. I would recommend adjusting the recipe to suit your taste preferences. I followed the instructions exactly, but found them to be quite bland.

Danielle and I believe this recipe is fantastic!

Continuing the search for a genuine, tasty slow-cooked sauce is recommended, as this one falls short. Its flavor resembled that of the sauce found in a can of Spaghettios.

Absolutely fantastic! I had the incredible opportunity to travel around Italy for 3 weeks with my partner last summer, and tasting this sauce brought tears to my eyes. Joiamia, even though I didn't make it to Sicily, your Nana's recipe has transported me back to memories of delicious Italian home-cooked meals. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I didn't alter a single thing and I never will. Thank you so much.