Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil.

2. Make the sauce: In a large wide, sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until the onions are tender and then add the plum tomatoes, sugar, and oregano. Stir to blend and then pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices. Cook, stirring from time to time, until it comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Lower the heat and let the sauce continue to cook as you make the meatballs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Make the meatballs: Put the beef in a large bowl and spread it all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. This will help you to distribute the seasoning evenly over the meat. Sprinkle the meat with the salt and add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together. Work in 1 of the eggs with your hands. Roll 1 small ball (about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter).

4. Taste test: In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat (to avoid splattering), and add the meatball. Put the heat back on high and brown on all sides for a few minutes until cooked but still pink in the middle. Taste for seasoning and texture. If too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add another beaten egg or a splash of water. Adjust the salt and chile flakes, if needed, as well. Roll the remaining meat into 1½-inch diameter meatballs; you should have about 20.

5. Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the remaining oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat and add the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Put the heat back on high and turn the meatballs to brown them on all sides. Cook to medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze the sides of the meatballs to make sure they are still tender in the center. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them from the pan and transfer them to a tray lined with a kitchen towel to drain any excess grease.

6. Cook the pasta: Season the boiling water with salt until it tastes like seawater. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon to make sure it doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

7. Serve the meatballs: Meanwhile, once you drop the pasta in the water, add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over very low heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Shut off the heat and allow the sauce and meat to rest as your pasta finishes cooking. Stir in a little of the reserved pasta cooking liquid if needed to thin. Transfer the sauce and meatballs to a large bowl and toss in half of the cooked pasta. Add about ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the remaining pasta. Serve with the remaining cheese in a bowl on the side.

Source: greatideas.people.com