Meatballs and Spaghetti

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs (I like to use artisan bread crumbs from Stone House Bread)

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 Tb. of Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs stir-in-paste (if you can’t find this at your grocer, substitute, 2 Tb. of fresh italian herbs, such as, parsley, oregano, thyme and rosemary)

2 tsps. kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg

1/2 cup warm water

Optional: 1/2 inch cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese for stuffing inside the meatballs

Sauce:

1 Tb. olive oil

2 cups diced onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup red wine

2 (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes

3 tsps. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 Tb. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

Combine all the meatball ingredients, do not overmix. (Optional: place a cube of mozzarella cheese inside each meatball when forming). You should end up with about 16-20 meatballs.

In a large dutch oven, combine 2 cups of vegetable oil and 2 cups of olive oil. Heat over medium to medium low heat. Add meatballs in batches, do not over crowd the pan. Brown on all sides, approximately 6-8 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels. Discard the oil in the pan after all meatballs have been browned. Do not clean the pan.

In that same pan, heat 1 Tb. of olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Increase the heat to high and add the red wine, continue to cook on high, stirring regularly until most all of the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat and add the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper.

Add the meatballs back into the sauce and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serve over cooked spaghetti and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley.