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For the tomato sauce:
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Heat a medium size pot over medium heat.
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Add your olive oil and minced garlic.
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Allow the garlic to soften, but not brown, for just a minute or two.
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Add your salt, pepper, and red pepper.
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Add your tomatoes and cook them down a little.
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Add the basil.
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Cook on low heat for 30 minutes with the pot covered, occasionally stirring.
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You can start the meatballs when you start the sauce simmering.
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For the meatballs:
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Crumble the beef in a mixing bowl.
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Add the breadcrumbs, Parmigiana, ricotta, parsley, basil and garlic.
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Beat the egg with the salt and pepper in a small bowl.
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Pour this over the meat.
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Mix the ingredients with clean hands just until blended.
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Do not over mix!
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If you over mix, you will get really hard, tough meatballs.
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We dont want that!
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Shape the meatballs into your preferred size balls.
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You can make them as big or small as you like, but make them roughly the same size so they cook at the same speed.
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Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
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Put the meatballs in the skillet and fry.
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Turn them when they are golden brown on one side, at around 10 minutes.
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Cook them for around 20 minutes total.
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As I said, I prefer my meatballs well done.
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Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat.
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Pour half of the tomato sauce over the meatballs.
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Cook meatballs for an additional 30 minutes in the sauce as the water boils.
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You will want to cook the meatballs until there is no pink in the center.
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Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and stir.
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Cook the noodles according to package instructions for al dente, then drain the pasta and add it into the remaining tomato sauce.
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Serve a portion of the pasta with the meatballs and sauce over it.
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Buon appetito!
