Meatballs, Sauce, Pasta
For the sauce, heat over medium-high in a large, heavy-bottomed pot:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add:
7 cloves of garlic (3 crushed, 4 minced)
1 small onion, diced
Season with a few pinches of kosher salt to help the onions break down. Once they soften and begin to brown, add:
1/2 cup of dry red wine (Chianti, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon are good choices)
Scrape any browned bits from the pan and add:
1 small can of petite diced tomatoes
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon of dried oregano (or tablespoon of fresh, chopped)
1 teaspoon of dried basil (or tablespoon of fresh, chopped)
Salt and pepper, to taste
From here you can turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer as long as you like. Just be sure to stir now and then to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot. Make sure that your pot is big enough to accommodate the meatballs; otherwise, transfer to a larger cooking vessel.
Preheat oven to 450.
For the meatballs, add to a large mixing bowl:
1+ pound of ground pork
1+ pound of ground beef
3 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)
1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped sage leaves
1 good handful of breadcrumbs
1 good handful of finely shredded/grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or less, if your cheese is very salty)
Lots of good ground black pepper
Really, the only way to make meatballs (and meatloaf) is with your hands, so dig in and mix everything together until it is pretty reasonably incorporated. You don’t want to over-work the mixture, but you also don’t want big clumps of any one ingredient anywhere. Once mixed, start rolling the meatballs to whatever size you like, placing them on a foil-lined baking sheet with enough space so that they are not crowded together. Bake in a single layer in your preheated oven for 15-20, or until browned. Transfer immediately to your sauce and let simmer for at least an hour so that the flavors come together. Serve sauce and meatballs over pasta (I love whole-wheat spaghetti) with lots of extra parmesan cheese. Yumma.
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