Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

It was back to dinner at Nan's last night for our weekly family meal.  Like most families, I am sure, some of our regular get-togethers tend to be more hectic than others and I find this to be directly proportionate to Nan's degree of patience on that particular day and the level of complexity involved in the meal being made. Although I am confident she really does cherish having her family steamroll through her lovely home every Sunday and leave in their wake piles of dirty dishes, a somewhat freaked out Maltese and a sticky "sippy cup" trail on her hardwood floors, some weeks are more (shall we say) challenging than others. Since she does not desire to spend the totality of the afternoon working up a sweat in the kitchen (who would, really) but would much prefer to join in the general afternoon silliness, she has become an expert in the "make ahead meals that give the most bang for the buck". Each and every week without fail, Nan throws down a feast for the ages complete with home made dessert (most of the time).  So take advice from the expert, meatballs in tomato sauce with a side of pasta and perhaps some good crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of this fabulous sauce, is a terrific option when you want to feed a crowd, spend some time with your family and guests, and as Nan likes to say "making memories"!

                                           

Actually, this sauce is best when made the day before and allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight.  The flavors really have an opportunity to come together for a deliciously complex flavor.  Prepare the meatballs early in the day, place them on a foil lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready.  

Homemade tomato sauce is very easy to do, much more nutritious than most of the commercial sauces and way more delicious ! Place two cloves of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes in the bottom of a cold dutch oven or sauce pan and cover with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Turn on the burner heat to medium and allow the garlic and pepper flakes to steep in the olive oil while it comes up to temperature. When the garlic begins to sizzle add 2 large cans of San Marzano whole tomatoes. Use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes into a smooth but still substantial texture. (HINT - prick the tomatoes with a knife before mashing, otherwise the juice inside may squirt all over you and your kitchen walls....) Add 1 small can of tomato paste, 1/2 cup of red wine, a good tablespoon or so of salt, a teaspoon of salt and a little water if it looks thick, considering it will continue to thicken as it cooks for about an hour. Just before serving add a bunch of chopped basil. Combine sauce with meatballs.

There are a lot of different techniques for making meatballs but I tend to follow the traditional and less fussy method (this philosophy applies to most foods I make). Start by placing 2 pounds of ground round beef in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 minced garlic clove, 1/2 sweet onion finely chopped, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, good shaving of fresh Parmesan, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 beaten egg, a rounded teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste and about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. Combine all just until it is well mixed. Avoid tough, dry "hockey puck" like meatballs by over mixing and packing too tightly. Form into 15-16 well formed, but not too compact, meatballs. Place in a rectangular baking dish and cook for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning once halfway through. When the meatballs finish cooking in the oven, add them to the pot of sauce before serving.