Nonna's Italian Spaghetti & Meatballs with Easy Homemade Sauce

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb lean ground pork
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• Spaghetti (or other favorite pasta)
• Fresh basil
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Nonna's Italian

Make the meatballs

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, then roll the meat into golf ball-sized meatballs.
2. Braise the meatballs on medium-high heat in a saucepan until crispy on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside (finish cooking in the tomato sauce later)

Easy homemade tomato sauce

3. Use the same saucepan as the meatballs. Reduce heat to medium, add some EVOO and the onions.
4. Cook until translucent. Add a bit of water to release the fond from the meatballs if needed.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes and Nonna's Italian.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
7. Add the meatballs (and any juice from the meat) to the sauce and cook until done, about 20 minutes.

Cook the pasta

8. 1 pack of spaghetti or other long pasta.
9. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
10. Add your pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, then drain.

Plate it

11. Remove the meatballs from the sauce and mix about half of the sauce into the pasta. Let the pasta absorb the sauce for a few minutes.
12. Plate the pasta, then add a bit more sauce on top.
13. Add the meatballs on top of the pasta, sprinkle with some grated parmesan and fresh basil.