Meatballs and Marinara

My Italian heritage comes to me from my father's side of the family. My grandfather immigrated from the Calabria area of Italy in 1919. He worked in a coal mine in West Virginia for 2 years until he had saved enough money to send for my grandmother and their children. Their first view of the United States was New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. They set foot on American soil at Ellis Island. When I visited New York, Ellis Island was at the top of my to do list. I tried but could not imagine what my grandmother must have been thinking as she stood in that huge hall with four small children, waiting to be cleared by immigration. It truly was awe inspiring. I highly recommend seeing it for yourself if you ever get the chance. Anyway, my grandparents died when I was quite young so no one was able to teach me about my food heritage. Fortunately, a close family friend taught my mom how to cook several authentic Italian dishes and I was very observant.

Marinara Sauce

1 large sweet onion(softball sized)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
Process in a food processor until well ground. Over medium/ high heat place a 6 quart or larger pot and cover the bottom with olive oil about 3-4 tablespoons. When the oil is heated add the mixture from the food processor.
Stir and let the mixture sweat for about 4-5 minutes. Then add:
12 oz tomato paste
2 28 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes(that you have pureed in the food processor)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2-3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes if desired
Cook on simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Just before serving stir in 6-8 fresh diced basil leaves
Serve over cooked pasta with meatballs or use in baked pasta dishes

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground veal or pork
1 1/2cups fresh bread crumbs(I use soft white bread from Farmers Bread from the Bakery at Vons)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 eggs
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
6 large fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350, grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a food processor put the several slices of bread that you have cut into chunks and grind into crumbs. Measure out 1 1/2 cups. Store the rest in a zip lock bag in the freezer for another time. Grind the garlic, parsley and basil in the food processor. In a large bowl combine the meats, bread crumbs,garlic, parsley, basil, cheese, eggs, salt, pepper with your hands until everything is just combined. Do not overmix as it tends to make the meatballs tough. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop a ball into your hands and roll into a ball. Place on sheet until the sheet is full. Bake about 30-35 minutes. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce after removing them from the oven.Let them simmer in the sauce the rest of its cooking time.

Cook's notes- If you haven't invested in silpats yet, I highly recommend them. They are silicone mats that professional bakers use. Nothing sticks to them and I always put one one the bottom of my baking sheets before the food goes into the oven. No more greasing pans and clean up is a snap.