TONJA'S TABLE MEATBALLS & MARINARA
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
« 1 pound ground beef
« 1 pound ground pork
« 1 head of roasted garlic
« 1 large shallot, minced
« 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
« 2 packages of 3 Lonetti Sisters Meatball Mix
« 1 egg
« 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
Sauce:
« 1/4 cup olive oil
« 1 onion, diced
« 4 cloves garlic, minced
« 2–28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
« 2 Tbls. fresh chopped basil
« 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
« Salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS
To roast garlic, slice top third of garlic bulb off and lay on sheet of tinfoil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place garlic in the oven and cook 50-60 minutes until garlic is soft. Remove and let cool.
Next, in a small skillet over medium-low heat, add 2 Tbls. of olive oil and minced shallot to the pan. Cook until shallot is soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, squeeze out roasted garlic cloves, and add remaining meatball ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
Roll meatballs into extra large golf ball size, about 2 inches in diameter.
Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. The meatballs don’t have to be cooked all the way through as they’ll finish cooking in the sauce.
While the meatballs are in the oven you can start the sauce by adding the oil to a large sauce pot over medium heat.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to just bubbling, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Season with salt.
Add the cooked meatballs and partially cover the pot with a lid, stirring occasionally for an additional 30-45 minutes.
Stir in the basil and season again with salt to taste.