Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Nothing too fancy here, but who doesn't love Spaghetti and Meatballs?? I'm sure you all have your own recipes - but I wanted to share mine. It's origin is very mysterious, however many people credit the Neopolitan region of Italy- as large pieces of meat in a red sauce are common there as in much of southern Italy. Home made spaghetti sauce is really easy to make and so much tastier than a jar sauce. I add a small amount of ricotta cheese to the meatballs to achieve a tastier flavor. The texture of meatballs really depends on the blend of meats you choose and how much you work the meat. I prefer a 'tighter' meatball which will not fall apart in your sauce. If you want a more crumbly meatball, add more ground beef and be careful not to stir or work the meat too much. Mangiamo! (let's eat in italian!)

origin - lisa lou
difficulty - easy

Home Made Tomato Sauce

2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes including juice (I prefer Cento)
1 onion chopped - yellow or vidalia
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced OR 2 shallots finely chopped
1/4 cup carrots shredded
1 cup full bodied red wine (like Chianti)
1 cup strong chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dried italian spices (I like Mc Cormick's blend - you can substitue a combination or dried oregano, basil, rosemary)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp onion powder
salt/pepper to taste
2 tbsp brown sugar (less if you prefer less sweet sauce)

Saute onion, garlic and carrots in the olive oil over medium high heat until tender - approximately 6 minutes. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, bay leaves and italian seasonings. Pour red wine over and let cook off for a few minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add chicken broth, tomatoes including juice, tomato paste and brown sugar. Let simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours (the longer you simmer the thicker the sauce will become) partially covered so the steam can escape. Add meatballs at the last half hour of cooking. Serve over your favorite pasta topped with shredded parmesean cheese and fresh chopped basil.

Ricotta Meatballs *makes approximately 12 meatballs with 1 lb meat

1-2 lbs combination ground beef, veal and pork *many grocers carry a package that includes all three, but NOT premixed. I don't like pre-mixed combinations as they tend to not be very flavorful. You can always buy ground beef and add sweet or spicy italian sausage taken out of the casing.
1 large shallot finely chopped
1 small egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesean cheese finely shredded
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1 tbsp italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) - using your hands works the best! Form the mixture into your preferred size meatballs, heaping tablespoons work well. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and turning occasionally cook until all sides are browned - the meat will not be fully cooked through. Remove meatballs from the oil and drain slightly on papertowels. Add to the sauce and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.