Spaghetti and Meatballs

From Joshua Weissman

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a bowl, place your chopped mortadella, combine it with the ground beef, fennel seed, salt, garlic, parmesan cheese, and black pepper, mix it well, and add the panko and eggs and mix again until emulsified and tacky.

Step 2

Use a large cookie scoop to make the meatballs, around twenty, place them on a sheet tray and roll them into balls.

Step 3

In a large sautee pan, over medium-high, pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan; once the oil is hot, add all the meatballs in one single layer, and sear for about two minutes, flip and sear one or two more sides, until golden brown. (it’s okay if there are not cook all the way) Remove the meatballs from the pan and reserve.

Step 4

In the same pan where the meatballs were cooked, reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and sautee for about five minutes, add the pepper flakes, saute for thirty seconds and add your crushed tomatoes—stir season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Then add the meatballs, bring them to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for five to eight minutes. Halfway through this process, add the basil, slightly bruised, let it cook until the meatballs cook all the way through

Step 5

Reserve one cup of sauce for plating.

Step 6

Place spaghetti in a pot of boiling water that has been seasoned generously with salt. Cook according to package instructions or until done. (do not drain the pasta)

Step 7

Using tongs, pick up the pasta, let it drain slightly, add it to your sauce until all your pasta all pasta has been added, and add a couple of splashes of your pasta water. Toss it together until all the pasta is coated evenly in the sauce.

Step 8

Place one portion of pasta in a shallow bowl, pour some sauce on top and two or three meatballs, grate some fresh pecorino or parmesan cheese, and finally, some chiffonade fresh basil.