Spaghetti and Meatballs

Method

1. 1

   Gather ingredients: 800 g tomatoes, 280 g onion, 30 ml olive oil, 20 g garlic, 60 g salt, 10 g black pepper, 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 100 g bread, 120 ml milk, 2 eggs, 50 g parmesan, 30 g parsley, 5 g oregano, 5 g lemon zest, 450 g beef, 450 g pork, 240 ml vegetable oil, 900 g spaghetti. Tools: large bowl, heavy pot, 12-inch heavy skillet, shallow baking pans, pasta insert, large serving dish.

2. 2

   Drain tomatoes, reserving juice in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with hands and return to juice.

3. 3

   Sauté half the onions in olive oil in a pot over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add half the garlic for 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, 4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Simmer uncovered for 50 minutes.

4. 4

   Sauté remaining onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet for 10 minutes. Add remaining garlic for 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl to cool.

5. 5

   Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze bread to remove and discard excess milk.

6. 6

   Mix cooled onion mixture, soaked bread, eggs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, 5.5 tsp salt, and 1.5 tsp pepper. Gently fold in beef and pork.

7. 7

   Form mixture into 70 1.5-inch balls with dampened hands and arrange on baking sheets.

8. 8

   Heat vegetable oil in skillet. Brown meatballs in batches for 5 minutes per batch until golden.

9. 9

   Add browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer covered for 25 minutes.

10. 10

    Boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with some sauce in a serving dish.

11. 11

    Top pasta with meatballs, remaining sauce, and extra grated cheese.