Spaghetti and Meatballs

I just spent a few weeks out in Utah skiing and boarding.  Kids all have different vacations.  In between hitting the slopes I spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  One night I cooked up spaghetti and meatballs.  Max, Josh's sidekick, asked me how did I know what to do.  Everything I whipped up was mostly off the top of my head.  I told him after cooking for this many years you just kind of know.  This recipe is not exact but it is a rough idea of what I did.

Meatballs:

1 lb ground veal

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1/2 fresh whipped ricotta

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups panko

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp white pepper

Thoroughly mix the meats together.  I was at 9000 vertical so keep that in mind.  I first added in the ricotta then the panko, eggs and seasonings.  Then I poured in the milk slowly and not all at the same time.  It softened up the panko and the meat.  Then once everything was really mixed together I made the meatballs and set them on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for about an hour or until browned.  You can cook these earlier in the day and warm later for dinner.

Sauce:

3 cans whole tomatoes

2 large sweet onions – chopped

3 large carrots – chopped into small squares

Spice bag filled with 3 bay leaves and two twigs of thyme

1/2 lb pancetta chopped into small squares

1 cup Red wine (optional)

In a deep pot cover the bottom with olive oil.  Once it is really hot add in the pancetta and saute until crispy.  Add in the onions and carrots and bring it down to a medium heat and stir until the onions are browned.  If you have any red wine left over from the night before this would be the time to add it in and boil it down to very little.  It seasons the onions and carrots.  Add in the tomatoes and spice bag.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer.  Put a lid on the pot with it partially open.  Let this sit on the stove for a few hours.  Once it was read I took a cuisinart hand blender and moved it slowly through the sauce so the tomatoes got chopped up. 

Once you are ready to serve put the meatballs in the sauce and let the whole thing sit on the stove for another 15 minutes.  Pour over pasta and serve with some freshly grated Parmesan.