My mom used to put pork neckbones in her tomato sauce, which gave it a nice sweet-and-smoky taste.
I don't work as hard as you do, SC. Instead, I have two choices for a thick sauce: Either start with a 28-oz can of tomato puree, or a same sized can of whole peeled or stewed tomatoes, using potato masher to break them up (if I want the "chunky" effect). Always fry two or three chopped cloves of garlic first. Then add 8-oz can of tomato sauce and small can of tomato paste. Use table wine and water to dilute to taste, and Marsala and sugar to balance out the acidity from the paste. Spices: 1 bay leaf, 1/2 oz. each of Italian seasoning, parsely, Herbes de Provence, oregano. I don't brown the meatballs before hand--I let them cook in the sauce. But I microwave the sausage for 2 minutes, then puncture them with a fork, before letting them cook in the sauce. Key is to let the whole she-bang simmer for hours, and to skim the fat from the surface.