Meatballs & Fettuccine with Quick Tomato Sauce

For the meatballs:

1. Tear the bread slices into small pieces and add them into a small bowl. Pour the milk over the top and mash the two ingredients together with a fork until they are well mixed. Set this aside for 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak in the milk.

2. Meanwhile, add the ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, thyme, marjoram, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Add in the bread-milk mixture before mixing everything together. Use your hands to mix everything gently until well-combined. Do not over mix.

3. Divide the meat into two equal parts. Roll each of the parts into 7 meatballs (about 14 meatballs total). They will be about 1½-inches in diameter. Shape the meatballs very lightly…don’t work the meat too much!

4. Place a large, deep skillet or pot (12-inch size) over medium heat and immediately add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet about ¼-inch deep. When the oil is hot and shimmering (but not too hot or smoking), add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Pour off the oil and use the skillet to cook your tomato sauce.

For the tomato sauce:

1. After you pour off the vegetable oil from the skillet, place it back on the stove top over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and the minced garlic. Cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 2 minutes. The garlic should turn golden but not brown. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add in the fresh thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Carefully nestle the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer. Bring the sauce to a simmer again and cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes until they are cooked and heated through. Turn the meatballs occasionally during this time.

3. While the sauce cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 4 quarts). Add a slightly heaping tablespoon of salt and the fettuccine noodles to the boiling water. Stir immediately to prevent sticking.

4. Cook, stirring often, according to package instructions for al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and add about 1 cup of the tomato sauce (no meatballs) and toss well. Add some pasta water in with the fettuccine and sauce mixture until you get a consistency you like (you don’t need to use all the pasta water…it’s just there if you need it).

5. Divide the pasta among your serving bowls or to a large platter if you’re serving family-style. Top the pasta with more tomato sauce and divide the meatballs evenly amongst portions (or scoop the sauce evenly over your pasta on the platter and spread the meatballs out on top of the pasta). Sprinkle torn fresh basil and a bit more grated Parmesan over the top of each serving or the platter. Serve with more Parmesan for topping as needed and whole fresh basil leaves for people to add as desired. Dig in!

Notes: You can make the sauce and meatballs ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, just reheat in a large, deep skillet, cook your fettuccine, and continue with the recipe from there.