Need help identifying an ingredient by smell in italian cooking

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Hmm, this is probably going to be a difficult one...

I'm trying to identify a missing ingredient in my Nana's italian cooking. The whole house smelled of it, and the passage of time has made it difficult to remember what dishes it was tied to. My best guess was it was in a sunday sauce, the meatballs themselves, or some other dish that I can't remember.

She has since passed away a decade or so ago. She had 5 children, and they ALL make the passed on recipes differently, go figure.

I think the best way to do this would be to list all of the ingredients in these dishes and then describe the smell as best as possible.

Sunday Sauce

  • pastine crushed tomatoes
  • salt
  • garlic
  • olive oil
  • basil
  • sauteed onion
  • sauteed sausages (sweet i think)
  • a pork part is sometimes thrown in
  • sweet vermouth
  • maybe black pepper, maybe oregano

Meatballs

  • ground beef (80/20)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • breadcrumbs
  • parsley
  • garlic powder
  • eggs
  • cheese (i've tried parmigiano reggiano, and pecorino romano, perhaps i'm not using enough...)

The Smell

This is hard... I'm not a sommelier.

My best guess is that its a type of cheese that I have not yet tried. It's definitely an umami flavor, warm, maybe peppery (not spicy), and lingers. Doesn't smell fishy. Damn... it smells so good.

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