Meatballs Marinara

Submitted by DrGaellon

""Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen," episode 103, "Feeding a Crowd, Italian-Style""

 

• Ready In: 1hr 20mins
• Ingredients: 21
• Yields: 16 meatballs
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• Flavor Base

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 3 onions, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 3⁄4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

• Marinara Sauce

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup hot water
• 4 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt, to taste

• Meatballs

• 4 slices hearty white bread, roughly torn
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄2 lb Italian sausage
• 2 1⁄2 lbs 85% lean ground beef

directions

1. Prepare flavor base: pour olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onions and saute 10 minutes, until very soft and golden brown. Add garlic, oregano and chili flakes and saute until garlic and oregano become aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer half the flavor base to a bowl.
2. Prepare sauce: to the flavor base remaining in the pot, add tomato paste and cook about 1 minute until it loses the raw tomato flavor. Add red wine and cook 2 minutes until tomato paste dissolves and the mixture is very thick. Add water and stir well. Add crushed tomatoes. Stir well and simmer 45 minutes until thickened.
3. Prepare meatballs: Add bread to bowl with flavor base. Pour milk over bread and combine using potato masher until fairly smooth and homogeneous. Add 1 c parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, garlic, and salt. Add sausage and blend in well with masher. Add ground beef and mix with hands until well blended. Form into large meatballs - about 16 meatballs total. Place meatballs on a sheet pan and place in preheated 475°F oven for 20 minutes.
4. Finishing up: add 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and salt to the sauce. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare pasta. Serve 2 meatballs and plenty of sauce per person.