Most Tender Meatballs

Directions

1. Start with the sauce. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown, breaking up as you go for 7 minutes. Remove from heat to a plate and set aside.
2. Lower heat to medium low. Add the full onion for both the sauce and meatballs to the remaining sausage grease. Sauté for 3 minutes and add garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Remove half of the onion and garlic mixture to a large mixing bowl for the meatballs.
3. Add the tomato paste and red wine to the onions to deglaze any bits left, and bring to a simmer, reducing for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, passata, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, once simmering, add the ground sausage back.
4. As the sauce comes to a simmer, make the meatballs. Combine all ingredients in the bowl with the onion and garlic — pork, beef, eggs, panko, heavy cream, Parmesan, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix very gently until combined. Ball into 1 - 1.5 inch meatballs and drop directly into the simmering sauce.
5. Turn heat to very low, and let gently simmer for 3 hours. Serve alone or with pasta.