Pork And Ricotta Meatballs In Tomato Sauce With Torn Basil And Parmesan

Directions

1. Soak the bread in the milk in a medium-size bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pork with all remaining ingredients. After the bread has thoroughly soaked up the milk, remove it from the bowl and ring out the remaining liquid. Thoroughly mix the bread into the meat mixture.
2. Once the mixture is well combined, form it into 3 ounce balls using about 1/3 cup each. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the meatballs. Cook until golden on the outside (2 to 3 minutes per side). When meatballs are finished, add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Place the finished meatballs in a bowl and garnish with torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Tomato Sauce:
5. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand and pour in their juice as well. Add the wine, bay leaf, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if applicable). Bring the sauce to a simmer, about 4 to 5 minutes then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting and continue to cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
7. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove bay leaf. If not using right away, let the sauce cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.