Spaghetti with homemade meatballs

I wrote my college essay about these meatballs, and I’m not not proud about that fact. My dad is Italian. The whole shebang: nine sisters (two brothers), first language was Italian, made meatballs on Sundays. As soon as I was old enough to understand that I had to wash my hands after working with raw meat, he taught me how to make the family recipe.

It was that family recipe that I wrote about get into college. It allowed me to get my hands dirty and it fulfills my daily quota of garlic. It connected me to my Italian heritage and it birthed my love for Italian cooking. And now I’m sharing an adapted version here (because true to my father’s Italian ways, he would whoop me if I shared the full family recipe). Without further wait, the homemade meatballs recipe:

What you’ll need

For the homemade meatballs:

• 1 lb. package of ground meat (I usually get a meatloaf mix, but any ground meat will work)
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of grated parm
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Herbs: salt, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano

For the sauce:

• 1 16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1.5 cups of red wine
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• Herbs: salt, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes

For the pasta:

• 1 pound of spaghetti – Ina Garten voice: I prefer homemade spaghetti, but if you don’t have the time/ energy, store bought is fine

How to make it

1. Get the sauce going first. Heat the olive oil and garlic on medium heat, until just before the garlic begins to change color. It should take about 3 minutes.
2. Pour in the wine (it should sizzle). You’ll want to cook out the alcohol, so allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and stir. Stir in generous amounts of seasoning, being conservative only with the red pepper flakes. Trust me, they pack in heat. Allow the sauce to simmer on low while you make the meatballs.
4. Preheat the over to 325 F.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, and herbs. And now for the secret: toss a spoonful or two of the sauce that’s simmering.
6. Now it’s time to get handsy (fine, use a fork if you don’t feel like getting dirty). Combine all of the ingredients with your hands. If things are feeling too wet, add in more breadcrumbs. If things aren’t sticking together, consider adding another egg.
7. Grease a pan, form your homemade meatballs, and place them on your sheet. Make sure you give them some space. Toss them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
8. Salt and boil water for the pasta while the meatballs are baking. For dry pasta, it typically needs to boil for 8-10 minutes. For fresh pasta, it should be much quicker, about 2-5 minutes.
9. When the homemade meatballs are out of the oven, add them and any drippings to the sauce. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
10. Toss together, plate, top with fresh basil, heat, serve, enjoy, lick your plate.