Spaghetti and Meatballs

Preheat oven 425º F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil or coat with nonstick spray. Keep in mind the healthiest way to cook meatballs is in the oven with a drip tray so the meatballs are not sitting in their own grease. You can however cook the meatballs over the stove in a skillet on medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine Parmesan, Italian Bread Crumbs or Panko, parsley, milk, egg, shallot and garlic; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let stand 10 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, add ground beef and ground pork, stirring until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-to-1-1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 36 meatballs.

Place meatballs in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until browned, about 12-15 minutes; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, (fennel seeds), and crushed red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If you are NOT using the red wine in this recipe you can simply use vegetable stock to scrap the bottom browned bits.

Stir in tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Stir in meatballs; cover and continue to simmer until flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped Basil.