the best meatballs and spaghetti!

I came across a recipe for meatballs in the Oct. 2010 issue of ”Bon Appetit”
magazine during a recent flight to New York City, and maybe I was “low in iron”
and needing the meat, but I could not get their image out of my mind.
Yes, I was obsessed with the idea of making delicious meatballs
and spaghetti, which gave me something to look forward to doing
after a wonderful time  in my most  favorite city in the world!  I took
the magazine to the grocery store and snatched up the ingredients, then
went home to duplicate the recipe and I will give credit to Molly Wizenberg
of the blog “Orangette” and the author of A Homemade Life.  When I
arrived at the point of cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce, I fondly
remembered a meatball recipe from a Williams-Sonoma catalogue,
which I had made a time or two for our dinner & movie club back in
Little Rock!  We were all enthusiastic eaters and the meatballs were
met with an appropiate amount of appreciation, to which I attribute
the outer “melt in your mouth”  brown crust of the meatballs (and well, the
surprise cube of cheese inside each one).  So, I decided to saute the meatballs
then finish cooking them in the sauce per Miss Wizenberg’s recipe.  Please give
this one a try and you will discover that it makes so many meatballs, you
will have plenty leftover to freeze.   It’s the recipe that keeps on giving!

Meatballs & Sauce

2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs (use your food processor)
2/3 cup milk
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
2 cups finely ground (again use the processor) Parmesan
   cheese
2/3 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
4 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil for sauteeing
1 yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 – 2 jars of tomato sauce (I like Archer Farms brand from Target)
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the table!

In a large bowl, combine milk and bread crumbs.  Let sit 10
minutes to absorb, then add meats, cheese, parsley, salt and
pepper.  Whisk eggs with a fork, add garlic, then add both to
meat mixture.  Using your hands, mix the meat until all
ingredients are evenly combined (do not overmix).  Chill
mixture at least 15 minutes.  Remove from fridge and form
into 2 inch balls.  Chill again for 5-10 minutes.  Place the ones
to be frozen in large ziploc bags and lay flat in freezer.  Heat
1/4 inch olive oil in a non-stick saute pan over med. high heat. 
Brown meatballs 1 minute per side.  Remove and let rest on
a paper towel lined plate.  Pour out excess oil, leaving enough
to saute the onion for 6-7 minutes over med. heat.  Add the
tomato sauce, season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; add
meatballs, cover and reduce heat to med. low and let cook 20-25
min.  While the meatballs are simmering, cook the spaghetti in
a separate pot and drain.  Serve meatballs and sauce over the pasta
with a hunk of Parmesan cheese and a grater at the table.   Enjoy!