This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes, so I decided to try out a recipe. First, start the sauce: in a large Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil, then sauté 1 onion (chopped) and 4 cloves garlic (minced). When fragrant, add a 56 oz can of plum tomatoes and their juices pureed with a 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste (which I forgot), 1 cup water (which I omitted), 1 bay leaf, 1 bunch Italian parsley (chopped), fresh marjoram (about 4 long sprigs), 1 chopped Cubano chile pepper (here, Anaheim), and about a ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 30 mins. In the mean time, prepare the meatball mixture: mix ½ lb each minced beef, pork, and lamb (here ¾ lb each minced beef and pork), 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 4 cloves garlic (minced), ¼ cup dry bread crumbs, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, and salt and black pepper. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Heat olive oil in a high-walled sauté pan, then brown the meatballs in batches (no need to cook through). When the sauce has finished simmering for 30 mins, add the browned meatballs to the pot. Cover and let simmer for 15 mins. Season sauce to taste (I added some crushed red pepper, a Tbsp of red wine vinegar, and about 5 Tbsp of white sugar to balance out sourness). Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti and garnish with fresh basil. This recipe is from Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce by Bobby Flay on Food Network, with modifications noted above. (Nov. 2013)
Cooking Adventures 