Begin simmering tomatoes in a 6-qt. Stockpot. Cut sausage into 2" lengths, brown well in 3 tb. Olive oil, and add to tomatoes.

Combine all meatball ingredients (except oil), form into 1" balls, brown in olive oil in a large skillet, and add to tomatoes. In the same skillet, saute onions and garlic until soft. Add all other herbs listed for the sauce. Add tomato paste and water and simmer for about 10 minutes, until of a fairly thick consistency. Empty contents of skillet into tomatoes, and cook uncovered on very low heat for about 4 hours. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Serve over rigatoni or spaghetti.

Cathy's note: Remove bay leaves when through cooking.

The editors wrote: "Since you're most likely to make this dish in the cold months, you might want to substitute 1 to 1 1/2 tb. Of dried herbs for the fresh ones listed here."

Recipe from Carla Hume of Thurmond, Nc in "Great Spaghetti Sauce Cookoff"

77. Posted by Cathy Harned.