Spaghetti And Fruit And Nut Meatballs

• 4 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
• 1/2 tsp of dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 32oz can of diced or ground tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• For the meatballs
• approx 1 lb of Italian sausage
• approx 1 ib of ground beef
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (Italian seasoned or plain)
• 1 egg
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 1/3 cup of pine nuts
• 1/3 cup of currants
• salt and fresh ground pepper (about 1/2 tsp of each)

1. Directions
2. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onions and saute until translucent about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and hot pepper flakes and
3. saute quickly. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth or wine, tomato paste, and stir until the tomato paste
4. dissolves. Add the bay leaf, basil and oregano and stir again to mix. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer.
5. For the meatballs, mix all the ingredients together. Hands are good for this. And then form the mixture into balls, about the size of a small apple or whatever size you like. Heat a skillet, non-stick is best, and brown the meatballs evenly. Brown them in batches. Some of the pine nuts might fall out don't worry about those. You can add them to the sauce as is, if they are not burnt. When the meatballs are
6. browned, add them to the simmering sauce, they will finish cooking in the sauce. Finish all the meatballs. Partially cover the sauce and
7. meatballs and simmer for about 45 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Prepare1lb of pasta (spaghetti or bucatini), according to package. Serve sauce with meatballs over pasta, with grated or shredded parmesan.

olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper, ground tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, tomato, bay leaf, basil, oregano, salt, meatballs, italian sausage, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, clove of garlic, nuts, currants, salt

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/spaghetti-and-fruit-and-nut-meatballs-1200366 (may not work)