Spaghetti With Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 cup sourdough bread cubes (crust removed)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces ground veal
• 8 ounces ground chuck
• 8 ounces ground lean pork
• 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (removed from casings and crumbled)
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Sauce and Spaghetti

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 (28 ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes (with juice, pureed in a food processor)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 lbs hot cooked spaghetti

Directions

1. 1

   To prepare meatballs, place bread and milk in a medium bowl and let stand 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Heat large Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

3. 3

   Place veal, beef, pork and sausage in a large bowl; using your hands, mix well. Add oregano, cheeses, eggs, parsley, bread mixture, onion, salt and pepper; mix well.

4. 4

   To prepare sauce, heat a large saucepan over medium heat; add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes, salt and red pepper flakes, if using, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   Form 16 golf-ball size portions of meat. Add to sauce.

6. 6

   Simmer gently until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.