If it's Sunday, it's meatballs and marinara. I never bought into that whole "gravy vs. sauce" debate that took off when the Sopranos reigned over New Jersey pop culture. Nope - my Nanny made mah-di-NAH-da, and it was the best thing we ever ate.
She rarely wrote anything down, so actual recipes from her are few. We learned to cook Italian by watching and listening, standing on a step stool next to her in her kitchen on Wade Street in Jersey City. Cooking with my Nanny and then staying over for a solo sleepover was the best thing ever - a mini-vacation away from parents and sisters, a whole night to feel special and fussed over. After dinner and card games with Pop-Pop, I couldn't wait to take a bath in their old claw-footed tub, snuggle into bed in the spare room that used to be Uncle Anthony's, and fall asleep to the soft hiss of steam heat and the warm aroma of Toll House cookies. It was heavenly.
My mother is a Nanny now, too, and she makes the family's best meatballs. I hope I picked up a few skills, with guidance from her and my little Nanny. Fresh ingredients - of course, that goes without saying - but they taught me that the very best food is made with purpose and with love. And no matter what life may throw at you, somehow meatballs and marinara make everything all right.
LITTLE NANNY'S MARINARA SAUCE
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup diced onions
3 cloves minced garlic
4 cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
Dried oregano to taste - it enhances the fresh herbs
2 dried bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Water
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions first, then the garlic.
Saute about 5 minutes till softened.
Gently puree the canned tomatoes in a blender just until broken apart. I like texture in my marinara sauce so I don't blend the tomatoes too smoothly.
Add the tomatoes to the saucepan and turn the heat up to medium high.
Add the fresh herbs, the dried oregano and the bay leaves.
Cover the saucepan partially and bring to a brisk simmer.
Add cooked meatballs (recipe below)
Reduce to a low simmer for about 60 minutes, partially covered.
The sauce will thicken as it cooks, so add water as needed, and stir frequently.
Adjust seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
MEATBALLS
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1-1/2 pounds ground veal
3 eggs
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
A little milk to moisten the bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add garlic, Romano cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and mix together. Add small amount of milk as needed to keep the mixture moist.
With your hands, mix in the beef and veal thoroughly. Pat together gently into 2 inch balls.
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs to the skillet in small batches, leaving plenty of room to turn them frequently as they cook. Add more oil as needed in between batches. Cook each batch 6 minutes or so, until browned on all sides. They don't have to be cooked all the way through - they will continue to cook when you add them to the marinara sauce. Drain each batch on paper towels before adding to the sauce.
Serve meatballs and marinara over your favorite pasta.
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