Meat-a-ball-es!

Trust me, this is delicioso!! Even my husband liked it!! Takes about an hour to cook, but worth every minute.

Meatballs in Meat Sauce with Rigatoni

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs ground beef, pork and veal mix (I just used ground pork/beef)

4 garlic cloves, grated or finely peeled

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 onion, grated or finely chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and black pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano)

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/2 fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian), a couple of handfuls, coarsely chopped

2 slices or torn white bread or 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup whole milk

1 egg

A couple pinches of ground allspice

1 cup grated Romano cheese

1 lb rigatoni

2 TB butter, cut into small pieces

Heat the oil in a saucepot or deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 pound of the meat and break it up into very small pieces. Lightly brown the meat for a couple of minutes, then add half of the garlic and the carrot, onions, and bay leaf to the pan. Season the meat and veggies with salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the stock and crushed tomatoes. Drain the whole plum tomatoes, then crush them with a wooden spoon and add to the sauce. Reduce the heat to low.

While the vegetables cook down, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Let them cool for a minute or two, then crush them or chop fine in a food processor.

Place the remaining pound of meat in a bowl and add the rest of the garlic and parsley, bread, milk, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, a handful of the Romano, and the walnuts. Roll the meat into 16 balls, 1 1/2 to 2 inches around, then drop them in to the sauce to simmer. Once the last ball has been added to the sauce, cook the meatballs 10 to 12 minutes longer to make sure they are all cooked through.

About 8 minutes before the meatballs are done, salt the pasta water and add the rigatoni; cook al dente. Drain the pasta, then return it to the hot pot along with the butter., the remaining Romano cheese, and a few ladles of the pasta sauce. Stir to melt the butter and coat the rigatoni a with cheese and sauce. Transfer to a large serving platter and top with the remaining sauce and the meatballs, or serve the meatballs and sauce right from the pot.