Description
The meatballs in this recipe are simply the best I have ever had. The fresh bread crumbs make for a meatball that holds together nicely, but is very soft to chew, and the Pecorino Romano cheese gives them a flavor that is out of this world.
Ingredients
- FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 2 pounds Ground Beef, Chuck Or Round
- ½ pounds Ground Pork
- 2 cups Fresh Bread Crumbs (almost Any Day Old Bread You Have Will Do)
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cups Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, Get The Best You Can Find
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil Or Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoons Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- ½ cups Finely Chopped Onion
- 1 clove Garlic, Minced
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
- ½ teaspoons Pepper
- 12 ounces, weight Tomato Paste
- 2 pounds Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 cup Water
- 1-½ teaspoon Salt
Preparation
For the meatballs:
Combine beef and pork together and mix well. Add bread crumbs and eggs and mix well. Mix in remaining ingredients (except oil) and combine well with the meat mixture. Using your hands or an ice cream scoop, form into balls (I use an ice cream scoop that holds 2 tablespoons).
In a skillet over medium heat, fry meatballs in the oil until browned on all sides. They won’t be cooked through at this point, but that’s ok. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce.
For the sauce:
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. If the sauce starts to get too thick, add more water. Remove the bay leaf and add the meatballs and simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
Serve this over spaghetti with some fresh Parmesan grated on top.
