Meatballs and Marinara
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small onions, rough chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 2 stalks celery, rough chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- Half of the onion mixture from above
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup graded Parmigiano
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 8 oz ground pork
- 8 oz ground beef
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 16 oz spaghetti, cooked
Sauce:
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Puree well with an immersion blender. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Meatballs:
In a
small pot over medium heat, mix the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions start begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Try not to let it burn. Let it cool slightly.
Puree carrot and celery in processor.
You can, if using fresh spices, process the spices in the processor. Just do it before you process the veggies.
In a
large sized mixing bowl, stir the ricotta with the above mix and the reserved (and cooled) onion-garlic mixture. Add the ground pork, ground beef, basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, parsley, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg(s) salt, and pepper. Gently mix together first with a spoon then going in with your hands.
Shape the meat into ping-pong-sized balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Place the meatballs in the fridge if you will not be cooking immediately or if they have warmed from handling (they will keep their shape better if kept cold before cooking!).
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs lightly on all sides until they begin to brown. They will not be fully cooked at this point. You can also bake them in the tray for 25 minutes @ 375F
Transfer the seared meatballs (and any accumulated juices) to the marinara sauce.
Cover and let simmer for an additional 20 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs.
Add cooked spaghetti to the finished sauce and toss to coat.