Ingredients

Method

1. 1

   Tear the bread into small pieces and place them in a mixing bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak.

2. 2

   Finely chop the fresh parsley.

3. 3

   Squeeze the excess milk from the soaked bread and place the bread into a larger mixing bowl.

4. 4

   Add the chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, grated garlic, and freshly ground pepper to the bowl with the soaked bread. Mix well with a fork.

5. 5

   Add the meatloaf mix (veal, beef, pork) to the bowl. Season with salt and mix everything together gently with your hands until just combined.

6. 6

   To check the seasoning, fry a small piece of the meatball mixture until cooked through. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper in the main mixture if needed.

7. 7

   Roll the mixture into meatballs, about 2-3 bites in size, and place them on a tray.

8. 8

   To make the sauce, open the can of tomatoes and pour them into a container suitable for an immersion blender. Blend until smooth.

9. 9

   In a saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once warm, add sliced garlic and a sprig of fresh basil. Cook until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.

10. 10

    Pour the blended tomatoes into the saucepan. Season with salt, stir, and bring to a simmer.

11. 11

    In a separate large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place the meatballs in the skillet and sear them on all sides until they have a nice brown crust.

12. 12

    Once seared, transfer the meatballs directly into the simmering tomato sauce. Let the meatballs cook in the sauce for about an hour.

13. 13

    While the meatballs are simmering, prepare the basil-parm topping. Add chunks of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves to a small blender or food processor and blend until it forms a fine, green, crumbly mixture. Set aside.

14. 14

    Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until it's about 70% done (still quite firm).

15. 15

    Just before serving, remove the meatballs from the sauce and set them aside. Ladle some of the sauce into a large skillet and heat it.

16. 16

    Using tongs, transfer the partially cooked pasta directly from the boiling water into the skillet with the sauce.

17. 17

    Add a few ladles of the starchy pasta water to the skillet. Vigorously toss and stir the pasta in the sauce, allowing it to finish cooking and for the sauce to emulsify and cling to the noodles.

18. 18

    Finish the pasta by grating some fresh Parmesan cheese directly into the skillet and tossing to combine.

19. 19

    To plate, use tongs to twirl a portion of spaghetti into a bowl. Top with meatballs, an extra spoonful of sauce, a generous sprinkle of the basil-parm mixture, and a fresh basil leaf for garnish.