Recipe: Spaghetti and meatballs

Ingredients

For meatballs

• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 tsp each: dried oregano, salt and pepper

• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 lb lean ground beef

For pasta

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small cooking onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes and juice

• 1/2 of a 450-g package capellini or angel hair pasta

• 1 cup 35% cream

• 1 tbsp each: finely chopped fresh oregano, parsley and chives

• Grated asiago cheese for garnish

Directions
For meatballs
1 Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly, using a wooden spoon or your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and chill mixture in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat oven to 350°. Remove mixture from refrigerator. Shape meat into mini meatballs, about 1/2- to 3/4-inch rounds, and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake on centre rack of preheated oven until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool pan on a baking rack. Reserve meatballs. Makes about 40 meatballs.

For pasta
3 Heat olive oil in a deep-dish saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and sugar. Saute mixture, stirring continually, until onion begins to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in wine and saute until liquid evaporates, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4 Add tomatoes and juice to pan and increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes, until mixture is thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook capellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, rinse and reserve.

5 Uncover pan and add cream to thickened tomato sauce, followed by reserved meatballs. Simmer sauce until thick and meatballs are heated through, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add chopped fresh herbs and cooked capellini and toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with grated asiago cheese.
 

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