Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
2 cups homemade stale rustic-style white breadcrumbs
Milk, to moisten bread (about ¾ cup)
1 ½ pounds ground beef, 85%
½ pound ground pork
Salt and pepper
1 egg
½ cup flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
6 ounces 'nduja
½ cup EACH grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino cheeses
3 tablespoons EVOO
For the Sauce and to Serve:
3 tablespoons EVOO
1 small onion, finely chopped
Salt
3 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground or flakes pepperoncini/red pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Italian red wine
2 cups beef stock or bone broth
1 jar (3 cups) passata
One 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
A handful of basil, torn
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
Serves: 4
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
For the meatballs, combine all ingredients, roll meatballs about 2 ½ inches wide and bake on sheet pan until lightly browned, about 18 minutes.
For the sauce, heat EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat in a large, deep nonstick pan or Dutch oven. Add onions and sweat them with salt, add garlic, oregano and red pepper, then stir in tomato paste for 1 minute. Add red wine and reduce by half. Add stock, passata and tomatoes and break them up. Add basil and bring to a bubble, then add lightly roasted meatballs and simmer 20 minutes.
Season water with salt and cook pasta a minute less than package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy water just before draining pasta.
Remove the meatballs to serving bowl and top with about 1/3 of the sauce.
Toss pasta with butter, cheese and sauce and transfer to a second serving bowl.