Spaghetti with meatballs

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 4 cans of 800g canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 170 g thin slices of pancetta, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. l. dried oregano
• 1 medium carrot, cut into thirds
• 1 large sprig of fresh basil
• 0.5 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil (or a mixture of both)

Meatballs

• Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs (about 90 gr.)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sour milk or kefir
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 450 g ground beef (20% fat)
• 220 g of minced pork
• 90 g thin slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
• 45 gr. grated Parmesan (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 700 g spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preparation:

1. Sauce:

   
   In a large bowl, crush the tomatoes by hand, breaking them into 1 cm pieces. Set aside.
2. Place the pancetta in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the pancetta releases its fat and browns, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add olive oil to the rendered fat in the pan, and when hot, add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes and oregano, cook for a minute or two, and then pour in the red wine. Cook until the wine has almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits. Return the pancetta to the pan along with the tomatoes and their juices, carrots, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and reduces by half, about 5 hours.
4. Once the sauce has thickened and evaporated, remove the carrots and basil and blend the sauce with an immersion blender. Add the parsley.

5. Meatballs:

   
   Preheat oven to 230°C. Spray a baking rack with cooking spray and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. In a large bowl, pour the sour milk over the breadcrumbs and let them sit, stirring occasionally with a fork, for about 10 minutes. Add the eggs, ground beef, ground pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, pepper, and salt. Mix gently with your hands, then form into 4-5 cm meatballs (about 24).
7. Place the meatballs evenly on the prepared rack and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
8. When the sauce is ready, carefully add the meatballs to the pot and simmer, covered, over low heat until the meatballs are cooked through and firm, about 30 minutes.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add generous amounts of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water, then return it to the pot.
10. Pour about half of the sauce over the pasta and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow it to absorb some of the sauce.
11. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to individual plates. Top with 3-4 meatballs per serving and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese.