Meatballs in red sauce

I learn how to do this sauce from years of watching my mother making spaghetti. In my parents house it was made with chicken, in our home in Ellensburg we do it with "meatballs" (the vegetarian ones). I use the Quorn bran. They are very tasty but I have an specific way to start them, because if I don't do it like that they will be saggy and not very good.

Red sauce:

6 Roma tomatoes
2 medium carrots
1 yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup of dry mushrooms
3 dry bay leafs
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp achiote * optional
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut the tomatoes in big chunks, put them in the food processor, until they are a nice red pure.

Peel and grate the carrots.

Soak the dry mushrooms in warm water for at least 10 minutes.

The mushrooms I use, I brought them from Lima, in a seal package, if you know what kind of mushrooms they are please let me know because it will be great to use them more often. In order to cook with them you have to soak them in advance. They have a very earthy flavor.

Fry the garlic and onions until gold, add the achiote, tomatoes and carrots, bring it to boil and stir occasionally add the mushrooms and bay leafs. Low the heat and keep cooking it for about 20 more minutes.

Meatballs and Zuchini.

10 "meatballs"
2 zucchinis

Peel and cut the zucchinis in big bite size chunks.

Heat up some olive oil, and seal the meatballs,

In a different pan caramelize the zucchinis .

Add to the sauce and enjoy with your favorite pasta.

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