recipe: spaghetti and meatballs

I didn't grow up eating spaghetti and meatballs; if anything, spaghetti was a meal we ate when Mom wasn't cooking. Dad would saute some zucchini and broccoli, throw some tomato sauce over it, and call it dinner. Slow-cooked tomato sauce with wine and red onions and meatballs is delicious, though, and this recipe is one I've adapted from a few sources to be the way I like it.



Spaghetti and Meatballs

This feeds about 8, I think, so I usually cook off the meatballs and then freeze about half of them to use next time. If you want to use all the meatballs, you'll want to DOUBLE the tomato sauce recipe, which is only scaled for 4 people. I am a terrible recipe writer.

Meatballs:
2 lbs meat (you can use pre-mixed meatloaf mix from the grocery store, or do any mix of turkey, beef, pork, or veal)
2 cups breadcrumbs (I use panko, but I think any kind would work)
1/4 c. milk
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. red chile flakes (or more or less, depending on how hot you want them)
2 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the meatball ingredients together and form balls (about a handful size). This makes about 20 meatballs for me. Roast at 375 until balls are browned, and then remove from oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350.

Tomato sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 red onion, sliced in half and then thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
A few shakes of red chile flakes, optional
1 c. red wine (I use Chianti, but I doubt it really matters)
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand (if you can find the Italian San Marzano variety, they are very good)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a oven proof dutch oven (like Le Creuset) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown (starting to caramelize), maybe 15 minutes. Add wine, reduce by half. Add crushed tomatoes, and simmer covered on low for about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs, cover, and put in the oven (now at 350) for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally (maybe once every half hour or 45 minutes). Make some spaghetti and serve!