Thatsa! Spicy!...etc, etc, etc

Meatballs are tricky dish as many consider them Americanized Italian food while others trace their origins to late 18th century Italy in which they were a "secundi" all their own. Regardless of their lineage they, like any dish done properly, are a splendid food product to have on a cold night.

Like many recipes, this is a creative amalgam from many sources and some person twists. I started with the class triumvarate of italian ground meats found, luckily, in many Brooklyn groceries stores where there is an Italian contingent, a combination of ground beef, pork and veal (sorry, not really my choice but is standard) in equal parts in one container.

To the meats I added chopped garlic, couple eggs, breadcrumbs, chopped walnuts (instead of pine nuts), ground Parmesan cheese, some golden raisins, chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, and some olive oil - i mixed this intensely with my hands and formed into golf-ball sized spheres.

I then browned the meatballs in olive oil until dark and crusty which would be a base form my red sauce. I removed the meatballs, added garlic, onions, and more red pepper flakes then deglazed the pan with white wine. Then I added a small can of italian cherry tomatoes which I REALLY recommend for making sauces. I crushed the whole tomatoes, added some water and brought to a simmer for about 1/2 an hr. I re-added the meatballs and simmered until tender. Then seasoned with black pepper and ground sea salt.

The hearty balls o' carne and intense sauce were served with a long fusilli pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese and some diced scallion.

Such a yummy and fulfilling treat. The tangy sauce flavored by the meat drippings on a bed of toothsome pasta, a great meal. A medium-bodied Sangiovese accompanied it wonderfully.