Veal Polpette with Thin Spaghetti and Light Tomato and Basil Sauce

• Coarse salt
• 3/4 pound thin spaghetti (vermicelli)
• 1 pound ground veal
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 2 cloves chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs (a couple of overflowing handfuls)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus some to pass at the table
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg (eyeball it)
• Coarse black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (a handful)
• 1/4 cup small raisins or currants
• 1 small to medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (a couple of glugs)
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, San Marzano variety if available
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 20 fresh basil leaves, torn

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Heat a large pot of water to a boil.
3. When it boils, salt it and add the pasta.
4. While the water boils, in a large bowl, mix the meat with the minced garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of EVOO.
5. Roll small meatballs with a pine nut and raisin in the center of each, and arrange them on a rimmed nonstick cookie sheet.
6. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
7. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat.
8. Add the 3 tablespoons of EVOO (3 times around the pan).
9. Add the chopped garlic and the onions and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and sweet.
10. Add the wine, reduce for a minute, then stir in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Fold in the basil to wilt it.
12. Cook the pasta al dente, drain, and toss with half of the sauce.
13. Take the meatballs from the oven and carefully loosen them from the cookie sheet with a thin spatula, then add them to the remaining sauce to coat.
14. Top the pasta with the polpette and serve with extra grated cheese to pass at the table and a green salad.

salt, thin, ground veal, garlic, egg, italianstyle bread crumbs, freshly grated or ground nutmeg, black pepper, extravirgin olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, yellow onion, white wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/veal-polpette-with-thin-spaghetti-and-light-tomato-and-basil-sauce-374477 (may not work)