Tappan Out Spaghetti & Meatballs
For the sauce
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs. tomato paste (the tube stuff is great)
1 Tbs. Anchovy paste from a tube or 4 fillets
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 cup red wine (Carlo Rossi)
A few leaves of fresh basil, torn by hand, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
For the meatballs
Olive oil, for frying
8 oz. ground pork (not sausage)
8 oz. ground beef
8 oz. ground veal (substitute the veal for 4 more ounces of beef and pork, if you prefer)
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs
2 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper, to taste
For the pasta
Lots of Kosher salt…a healthy palm full
1 lb. dried spaghetti
Make the sauce
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-duty 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, anchovies and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and the anchovies are melted, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, wine, basil and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced by about a third, 40 to 60 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt & pepper. Simmer on very low heat.
Make the meatballs
Combine the ground meats, breadcrumbs, ricotta, eggs, parsley, oregano, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl. Mix gently and thoroughly with your hands, but don’t over work the meat.
Divide the meat into 16 golf-ball-size portions using a small ice cream scoop or your hands; roll with wet hands to make them round. Set aside on a large platter or plate.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add a few turns of olive oil. Add the meatballs and fry just until browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Cook in batches. Add meatballs to the simmering sauce to finish cooking. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs. Simmer the sauce and meatballs on low heat for an hour or more.
Cook the pasta
Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes less than package timing for al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and drain.
Return the pasta to the pot and mix with the some of the sauce. Add 1 cup pasta water to thin the sauce and cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more pasta water if necessary, and season to taste with salt & pepper.
Transfer the spaghetti to a large platter. Top with the meatballs and their sauce. Garnish with fresh basil, torn by hand. Serve with fresh, grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese and good, crusty garlic bread to sop up all the goodness!