ROUSES_MarApr2021_Magazine-Pages

Spaghetti & Meatballs with Italian Sausage Makes 8 servings

FOR THE SAUCE WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 10 ounces pancetta, diced 1 pound Rouses Italian Sausage 4 tablespoons Rouses Sicilian Olive Oil 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped Salt, to taste 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 2 28-ounce cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P., hand crushed Pinch Rouses Italian Seasoning Pinch sugar 1 cup red wine, like Chianti 2 pounds Rouses Authentic Italian Spaghetti 1 cup grated Romano cheese HOW TO PREP: Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and brown, then remove. Brown the sausage, then remove. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet and add onions. Sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the carrot and garlic, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until tomatoes turn orange. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar and red wine. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered over medium- low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover the pan. Allow to simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the spaghetti with the meatballs, sausage and sauce in the skillet, adding some of the reserved pasta water until the pasta is moist. Season with salt to taste. Toss with the grated cheese.

Italians usually eat meatballs—called polpettes —on their own, served plain or in a light soup broth as the main course of a meal. Cooks here paired them with spaghetti and canned tomatoes, which were some of the only Italian ingredients available in American markets.

FOR THE MEATBALLS WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

²⁄₃ cup crumbled day-old Rouses French Bread 6 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature 2 eggs 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese 1 pound ground pork 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped 1 teaspoon salt HOW TO PREP: In a medium bowl combine the bread, milk, egg, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir well to combine and allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Add the ground pork and beef and the salt. Fold in both onions, parsley, salt and pepper, then add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and use your hands to gently combine. Roll heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture into balls. (If you don’t have a measuring spoon, these should be about the size of golf balls.) Place the meatballs neatly on nonstick sheet pans and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to chill. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, or enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add as many meatballs as the pan will allow without overcrowding, working in batches if needed. Brown the meatballs on all sides, rotating as needed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate when they are browned on all sides. Continue until all the meatballs are browned. 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup olive oil, divided

Experience an authentic taste of Italy without leaving your kitchen. Look for “Denomination of Protected Origin” (DOP, or Protected Designation of Origin/PDO) certification on the can.That guarantees that the tomatoes are of the San Marzano variety, where they are grown (San Marzano, Italy) and how they are grown, harvested and packed. Each step is regulated.

41 WWW. ROUSES . COM