Spaghetti and Meatballs for 10

No matter which way you are voting, this is an election that is going down in the history books! People all over the country are having their friends and family over to celebrate and discuss as the results roll in. This Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is easy, delicious and comforting. And for those of you who still have late summer tomatoes growing in your garden (as we do in Seattle), this is a great way to use them up. I know that I harvested 8 lbs of yellow cherry tomatoes off my vines last week, and that is how this big pot of spaghetti sauce was born!

I would pair this with a big green salad, some crusty French bread and a big bottle of red wine.

Tomato sauce

-8lbs of ripe whole tomatoes or 2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
-2 medium yellow onions, chopped
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-½ cup olive oil
-2 tsp red pepper flakes
-1 Parmesan rind
-Kosher salt and black pepper
-2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus a sprig for garnish.

1) In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2) Add the onions, and sprinkle them with about 1 tsp of kosher salt. Let the onions sweat until they are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3) Add the garlic and let it cook until melting into the onions, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot and reduce heat to very low. Cook for about 60 minutes, or until the tomatoes are floating, split and falling apart.

4) Turn the heat off, and add the rind and hot pepper flakes. Put the lid back on and let the sauce cool. When it has cooled down, about 30 minutes, remove the rind.

5) Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Add the rind back in and bring the sauce back up to a simmer.

6) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the basil and mostly cooked meatballs to the sauce, and let them simmer in the sauce for about 5-8 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

Meatballs

-1 lb ground pork
-1 lb ground turkey
-3 eggs
-3 garlic cloves
-½ cup freshly chopped parsley
-¾ cup plain bread crumbs
-¼ lb finely grated Parmigiano reggiano
-1 Tbs kosher salt
-Black pepper

1) In a large bowl, with clean hands, thoroughly mix together the pork, turkey, garlic, salt and parsley.

2) Beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add those in. Crack fresh black pepper all over the mixture before mixing it in.

3) Finally add the bread crumbs and the cheese. I like to make this meat mixture and refrigerate it all day. I then form the meatballs by making 2” balls and lining them up on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

4) Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt the water. Gently add the meatballs one at a time to the boiling water. Cook them until they are mostly cooked and floating, about 5 minutes.

5) Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and gently add them to the sauce. While they finish cooking, you can use the same water to cook the spaghetti in.

Spaghetti

1) Cook until al dente, according to package directions

2) Time the spaghetti to be done right when the meatballs are finishing up their final cooking in the tomato sauce.

3) Drain the spaghetti, and pile it on a large platter.

4) Generously ladle the sauce and meatballs onto the spaghetti. Garnish with finely grated Parmesan and a sprig of fresh basil.