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Recipe: Spaghetti & Meatballs

By Cynthia Dea
October 8, 2015
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SpaghettiandMeatballs

I can't remember the last time I made this quintessential Italian American dish -- what about you? It could have been sometime around the Sopranos finale, circa 2007. Chef Brandon Boudet of Little Dom's and Dominick's recently shared his recipe with us, inspiring some Sunday suppers at home with a bottle of ripasso.

You may want to prep the soffrito -- a sauteed mixture of celery, onion, garlic (sliced Goodfellas thin), and parsley -- before you start the meatball and sauce-making process.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatballs
1 1/4 pounds ground pork
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
3/4 cups soffritto (1 1/2 ribs of celery, 1/2 large yellow onion, 1 garlic clove, small bunch parsley), sautéed for 3 minutes
1/2 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon porcini mushroom powder
1/2 cup mushrooms, sautéed for 5 minutes
2 cups bread crumbs
1 eggs
1/2 tablespoon salt

Tomato Sauce
3 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, passed through food mill
2 cups soffritto (3 ribs of celery, 1 large yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ bunch parsley), chopped
1 bunch each of basil and oregano, wrapped in cheese cloth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/8 cup olive oil

For the meatballs: Mix all ingredients in a kitchen mixer or by hand. Using a 2 ½ oz ice cream scoop, scoop meat mixture into balls to form meatballs. Bake on sheet pan lined with parchment paper for 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the tomato sauce: Add olive oil to pot. Add soffritto and saute for 3 minutes. Add salt, sugar, pepper flakes and tomato paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and simmer for 3 hours. Add basil and oregano and leave in sauce until completely cooled to infuse flavor.

Serve tomato sauce and meatballs over cooked spaghetti.

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