The Perfect Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Perfect - such a high standard, and when you say, "I have made the perfect _________" you become the perfect scapegoat for anyone to follow in your footsteps, regardless of what they do to your brainchild. But THIS recipe, I say, is a fail safe venture into simple comfort food.

Meatballs - for the longest time, I could not make mine work -- you read recipes and hear folks describe theirs as "fluffy" -- WHAT?  Mine come out with the texture of lead!  I do not over mix, and pay attention to the addition of each ingredient, but to no avail.  So imagine my surprise when things just worked out with this last batch!  Apparently I have struck upon the right combination.  This is, of course, the classic usage for fresh meatballs, but be prepared to read about meatball sandwiches with Provolone, etc...

THE RECIPE - MEATBALLS

1# ground beef, not too lean - we like fat!
1# ground pork
1# ground veal
2 extra large eggs
1 large slice sourdough bread, toasted and ground in a food processor or 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 T whole milk
1 t minced parsley or cilantro
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3 Thai chiles, minced
1 T sea salt
1 T fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°; spray a baking dish with pan release. Mix all above ingredients with care, just enough to blend -- DO NOT OVER MIX.

Wet hands with water.  Roll approx. 1 T of meat mixture into a ball; use more or less for your desired proportions.  Repeat for the rest of the mix.  When complete, place the sheet pan into the oven.  Check after 30 minutes, turn and when cooked, remove from oven and cool.

THE RECIPE  -- MARINARA SAUCE

3 T EV olive oil for saute

2 cans San Marzano tomatoes, or if you are insanely lucky and have a garden, FRESH tomatoes steam peeled

1 large onion, minced
1 large bunch fresh basil, or 4T dried
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute onion, garlic, and basil in oil for 3 minutes over medium heat; add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat until reduced by more than half.

THE RECIPE - PASTA

6 Qts water
1 Oz. EV olive oil
1 t sea salt
1 # spaghetti or capellini pasta - I like mine just past al dente -11 - 12 min.  Strain and reserve.

If you use homemade pasta, be sure to roll it out as flat as possible and only cook for 4-5 min.

1 t crushed chile pepper
1 t Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta until done; drain immediately and toss with sauce and meatballs.  Garnish with crushed chile peppers and cheese if desired.

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