Meatballs

Thank you, David, for these delicious meatballs!Adapted From Simply Recipes
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/speghetti_and_meatballs

Sauce
-2 T extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 chopped sweet yellow onion *used 1.5 medium shallots
-3 cloves chopped garlic
-1 cup very finely chopped carrots
-1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms *did not use
*had some celery in house, so used about 1 cup, finely chopped
-2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (San Marzano brand in possible) *only had one can San Marzano at home, but substituted other can with 12 oz of fresh, chunky salsa
-1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
-3 T tomato paste concentrate in tube *did not use
-1/4 cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend *used only Parmesan Reggiano
-salt to taste (~1 t)
-1/4 cup red wine

Meatballs
-1 lb ground beef
-1/2 lb fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
*used 2 lbs beef, no sausage
-2 T finely chopped basil
-2 T finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
-1/2 cup finely chopped crimini brown mushrooms *did not use
-2 eggs *used 3, due to the extra .5 lb of meat
-3/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs *used 1 cup, due to the extra .5 lb of meat
-1/4 cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend *used only Parmesan Reggiano
-2 t sea salt *used Kosher
-2 t fresh ground black pepper
-1 T olive oil *used canola...actually, did use some extra virgin olive oil
-red wine

Pasta - 1 1/2 lbs of the dried stuff; recipe calls for spaghetti, David chose campenelli

Method
1. Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in 4-5 quart pot on medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and celery, mix together for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes (& salsa), stir together. Add basil and parsley, stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. *Did not do the potato masher because I forgot to get it for David. Also, this is when you would add your tomato paste concentrate & stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meat balls, stirring occasionally.

2. Prepare the meatballs. Mis by hand in a large bowl beef, (Italian sausage, if using), basil, parsley, (mushrooms, if using), eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt & pepper (*David accidentally added extra virgin olive oil as well) until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoon to form 1-inch round meat balls. Roll and compress into tight balls.

3. Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive (or canola). Sear and brown meat balls on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. As meatballs and finishing, add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan.

4. Add 1/4 cup red wine to the sauce. Then stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 1 T of salt. When the water returns to a boil...**WAIT! No. Follow the directions on your box of pasta. Drain.

To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

EAT! It's super flavorful, juicy and delicious.

**Some (more) notes about this meal...When David decided to make spaghetti & meatballs, I thought about the basic ingredients needed and what we have on-hand at home. I concluded that we had everything, or at least close to. I was wrong, hence the salsa, the shallots, no mushrooms, etc. A word about the salsa. It worked. Okay, there was a little bit of a cilantro flavor to it, but just barely. I think for a basic meatball dish, mushrooms should be omitted. Not everyone likes mushrooms, including my kids. And, celery imparts a nice added flavor. C'mon, mire poix! We did have a pound of unflavored ground pork in the house, but opted to go all beef. We also think that the olive oil may have given the meatballs the extra juiciness. Not sure.

David thought the whole meal was a tad on the salty side. I thought it was just right. The sauce was a bit chunky & runny. After dinner, I ended up fishing out the meatballs and pureeing all the sauce. We ate this with a bottle of Sagelands table wine.

All-in-all, a super Easter dinner!