Ingredients
- Pomodoro Sauce:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups heated Pomodoro Sauce or good quality jarred tomato sauce
- 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
- Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh basil
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, drained and
- crushed by hand, liquid reserved
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 tablespoons
oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley
and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and let cool.
Pour the milk over the bread in a bowl and let it soak while the onions are
cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and
season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess
milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion
mixture. (Hang onto the pan - you will need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently
combine all the ingredients with your hands until just mixed together. Do not
overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape
them into 10 nice looking meatballs.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over
medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them
into a baking dish and spoon about half of the tomato sauce over. Shower with
the mozzarella and scatter half of the basil leaves over; drizzle with olive
oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the cooked through, about 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8
minutes. Drain and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the
sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs on top of the spaghetti and garnish with
the rest of the basil leaves. Serve immediately along with the extra cheese.
Pomodoro Sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and
garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the
tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved
liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 15
minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil,
stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes.
Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and
season again.