Beef and Pork Meatballs with Tomato-Fennel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- Salt
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
- A few leaves basil, torn
- 2 tablespoons aged Balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- For the pasta: 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup grated Parmigaino-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F.
For the sauce, heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat with EVOO. Add fennel, onions, garlic and salt, and cook to soften, 10 minutes. Add stock or water and let it absorb, another few minutes, then add tomatoes and simmer 20 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor then return to pot. Keep over a low simmer, add torn basil and stir in aged balsamic to finish sauce.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and cook pasta 1 minute shy of recommended cooking time. Reserve 1 cup starchy cooking water, drain pasta and add it back to the hot pot along with the butter, cheese and half the sauce. Stir well, using the starchy water to emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta.
Serve pasta in shallow bowls topped with more sauce and some meatballs. Pass cheese at the table.