- 6
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, left whole, peeled
- 5 cups canned fire-roasted tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 sprigs fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the meatballs:
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
- 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound grass-fed beef
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dry rigatoni
Preparation
Step 1
Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the red onion, tomatoes, 1 cup water, tomato paste, and sugar. With the back of a chef’s knife, tap the sprigs of basil to release their juices. Add the basil and salt and pepper to taste to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until it reduces by one-quarter, about 1 hour. Remove the basil sprigs and onion and discard.
Make the meatballs: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the yellow onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic perfumes the air 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the pan and place the onions and garlic in a bowl.
In a second bowl, add the breadcrumbs and milk and stir together to moisten the breadcrumbs. Squeeze the breadcrumbs gently to get rid of the excess milk and add them to the onions and garlic. Discard the excess milk. Add the oregano, tomato paste, pork, beef, ricotta, egg and ½ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into 30 meatballs about 1 ¼ inches in diameter. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake until brown on the outside, 10 to 15 minutes.
To finish the dish: After the tomato sauce has cooked for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, add the meatballs and continue to cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked, 30 minutes. Stir gently and occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, add additional water.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and boil until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain and toss the rigatoni with the tomato sauce and meatballs. Place in a large bowl and garnish with the remaining 1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano; serve immediately.