Ciaoman…I’m in your corner with the meatballs…Grandma and Mom always fried them in olive oil to give them a light crust…and then they finished in the gravy. remember to let the gravy cook for a while(half hour or so) before adding all varietys of meat…meatballs last…
Also San Marzano are tops…otherwise any "plum"tomato canned product is fine…in the summer we put out own "roma" plum tomatoes from our garden in a blender…and use the puree as the base for our gravy…also our own fresh spices and basil….Great Gravy…also use a little tomato paste for thickness…also adds a nice flavor you don’t get without it. Grandma swore by the tomato paste…that came from Italy!