PASTA PERFECTION

Take mealtime to the next level with a little help from Italian cooking star Lidia Bastianich's new collection of recipes

- 

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Serves 6

Preparation time 25 minutes

Total time 1 hour 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• ½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

• 1½ tsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1½ cups fine dry breadcrumbs

Sauce

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 fresh bay leaves, or 3 dried

• ½ tsp peperoncino or red pepper flakes

• 2 (28 oz) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 2 tsp kosher salt

To serve

• kosher salt

• 1 lb spaghetti

• 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2. To make the meatballs, put the carrot, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse to make a paste or pestata. Scrape the pestata into a large bowl. Add the beef, pork, eggs, parsley, oregano and salt. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs overtop. Mix well with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into balls, about the size of golf balls, and arrange them on the baking sheets (you should get about 24 to 30 meatballs). Bake, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through, until the meatballs are nicely browned, 18 to 20 minutes.