the meatballs. slice six cloves of garlic and chop the onion. heat olive oil in a large pot on medium high. add onions and cook until soft (around five minutes), stirring occasionally. during the last two minutes, add the garlic slices to the pan and stir them to combine with the onions.
while the onions are cooking, mash the whole, peeled tomatoes in a bowl. after the onions are soft, add the mashed tomatoes to the pot, along with the crushed tomatoes. stir to combine and add the bay leaves, salt and pepper. stir to combine.
when the sauce comes to a boil, lower the heat and loosely cover the pot with 