Italian Style Chinese Pasta

Sauce ingredients:
1 12-oz. can tomato paste
3 c. water
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 large bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt dash of pepper 2 or 3 Italian sausage links (optional)

Meatball ingredients:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. cracker or bread crumbs
1 egg
pinch of oregano
pinch of basil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
vegetable oil for frying
Pasta ingredients:
8 oz. mostaccioli or rigatoni noodles, uncooked
1 qt. sauce 25 to 30 small meatballs
1 or 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
dash of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Preparations:
Sauce :
Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.* (If sauce becomes too thick and begins to stick to the sides of the pot, add a little water.) Remove the lid about 15 minutes before serving so that the sauce can thicken. (Sauce should be heavy and smooth.)
Meatball :
Put all ingredients except oil in a large bowl and mix well. (Many cooks use their hands for mixing meatballs.) Roll about 1 tbsp. meat between the palms of your hands to make meatballs that are 3/4 inch in diameter. In a frying pan, brown meatballs in about 1/2 inch of oil. Drain. (Or place meatballs in a shallow pan and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.)
Pasta :
Boil noodles according to directions on package and drain. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a square 8 X 8-inch baking dish or cake pan, layer ingredients in the following order: a small amount of sauce on the bottom; then noodles, meatballs,and egg slices; then another layer of sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese. (Save some sauce to pour over each portion after baking.) Sprinkle with Romano or Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and heated through. When done, remove Chinese Pasta from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting into squares for serving. Pour remaining sauce over each serving.