grandma castellano's spaghetti and meatballs

I went to a Relief Society meeting last week and Sis. Castellano shared a few of her mother-in-law's authentic Italian recipes with us.  When she passed around this basic marinara sauce with meatballs I was in heaven.  I knew I had to buy the ingredients right away and make it as soon as possible.  It's so easy to make and so fresh tasting.  I'm going to have leftovers tonight and I can't wait.

grandma castellano's spaghetti and meatballs (Sis. Castellano)
1 small onion, chopped* or 2 tablespoons dried onions
2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped is fine
2 teaspoons sweet basil (dried)
2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes

Puree tomatoes and place in a 3-quart pot, add garlic, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Add fresh onions (put onions in a small pan and cover with water; cook until water evaporates).  Simmer until ready to serve over hot pasta.

meatballs
Mix together 1 egg and 1 minced garlic for each pound of ground pork.  Then add breadcrumbs, grated hard cheese (about 1/4 cup) and salt and pepper to taste.  Use just enough breadcrumbs to stick the meat together but not too much to make them dry.  Shape into balls and place on greased cookie sheet with a lip to catch the grease.  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees then add to the sauce.  Simmer for at least an hour.

What I have to say-  I was too eager to eat these so I didn't let them simmer for an hour.  This spaghetti is so good!  Now I have two favorite marinara recipes.