Yet today wasn't just all about the meatballs. You see, tomorrow is my husband's birthday and we decided to have the family dinner tonight because we already have plans for all day tomorrow. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner he requested the meal his mother always made him, spaghetti & meatballs. As much as I wanted to prepare him something a bit more upscale, I certainly can't blame him for wanting something soothing since this is his first birthday after losing his mother less than 3 weeks ago. Spaghetti and meatballs it is! But it's not going to be just any spaghetti & meatballs...no frozen meatballs and jarred sauce for us. I'm talking about the best homemade meatballs and fresh marinara sauce you've ever had!
I actually started the tomatoes on their way last night while I already had the oven on. Earlier in the day I picked up some beautiful plum and simple vine-ripe tomatoes, about 2/12 lbs. each. (Yes, I'm ordering a scale so I can give you exact measurments in the future. Be patient I'm new at this.) I sliced the tomatoes in half, brushed them with olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper then put them cut-side down on two baking sheets to roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until their skin is slightly charred. There's something about oven-roasting the tomatoes (or any vegetable, really) that brings out their natural sweetness. Once they were done I put them in a bowl and covered them with plastic wrap to hold in the steam then refigerated them overnight.
Getting saucy...
To begin the sauce today, I first had to remove the skin from the tomatoes. The steam had done its job and the skin slid off the tomatoes like a nightgown might slide from a woman's shoulders revealing that beautiful, glistening flesh. Oh yeah, this is going to be one sexy sauce! I place these tantalizing tomatoes into a large stockpot and set the flame at medium. Next I add freshly chopped garlic and fresh oregano & basil that I snipped from my garden. Then in goes salt & pepper and a bit of sugar to cut the acid from the tomatoes. Cover it with a lid, set the flame on low and just let it simmer all day, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should break down on their own but you can use a potato masher to break up any chunkier pieces, if you prefer.
Next it was on to the meatballs. I like to use 2 parts of lean ground beef to one part sweet Italian sausage when I make mine. I add grated garlic & onion, dried oregano & basil, salt & pepper, eggs, tomato paste and bread that had been soaked in milk. In this case I used 3 leftover hot dog buns as the bread. Hey use what you have, right? Mix this all together well and form into good sized meatballs, make 'em hearty so they don't get lost in the sauce. Put them on a baking sheet (or 2) and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Back to the sauce; this is the last time you can play with the flavors before you add the meatballs. Once those meatballs go in you don't want to stir too much or you might break them up. Taste your sauce to determine if it needs a little more of anything. Here's when I add my secret ingredient, balsamic vinegar. A couple of tablespoons will add a subtle depth of flavor that one might not have expected. Once the meatballs are out of the oven introduce them to the sauce, give them a stir, and put the lid on for some privacy. The marriage that takes place in the culinary confines of that pot is surely a match made in heaven. As per requested, spaghetti was the pasta of choice tonight but any bed of pasta would suit these newlyweds. Add a blanket of parmesan cheese and a nice glass of wine and let the magic begin.
Well, being this was a family meal and all we skipped the wine and added some garlic bread and a Caesar salad with homemade dressing. There was enough garlic in this meal to quash any ideas of a romantic overture, for sure. The good news is that with Halloween just two days away, the vampires don't stand a chance!
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