That'sa One-a esSpicy eMeataballa!!!

INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
1 lb. gr. beef 
2 tbsps. fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
3 small fresh garlic cloves chopped
Salt & pepper

Put all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Use your own hands to mix all the ingredients together until well blended.  Take a tablespoon use it to scoop up the meat mixture and with your own palms roll and form a ball.  Set aside until you make around 20 -24 meatballs.  Heat 2 tbsps. olive oil in dutch oven.  Gently place meatballs in the hot oil, cook for about 10 minutes making sure to turn the meatballs over  every few minutes making sure they get cooked on all sides.  When all the meatballs are cooked, take them out of the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a layer of paper towels to drain.  Save meat drippings in the pot.

In the mean time start the spaghetti according to package directions.    


Sauce:

1 small onion chopped

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 14.5 oz. can of whole tomatoes

1 16 oz. jar of favorite marinara sauce

1/2 cup of red or white wine

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

In the meat drippings, heat 2 tbsps. olive oil and cook onions.  Stir often and cook onions until transparent and carmelized.   Pour both cans of diced tomatoes and whole tomatoes and the jar of marinara sauce into the pot and stir until well mixed.  Add the wine and pepper flakes.  Stir well and then simmer for 15 minutes.  (Don't forget to check on the spaghetti).  Add the the meatballs to the sauce, stir well and  simmer for another 30 minutes.  


Serve over a bed of hot spaghetti.


COMMENTS:
I've been so in the mood for spaghetti. I also had my hubby take out some bread dough ahead of time so that it would be ready for me to bake by the time I got home from work.  So, during lunch today I looked for a recipe from the Pioneer Woman and sure enough, she had one :)  I read the recipe, went home and whipped up what I had.  I didn't follow her recipe to the t only because I didn't have everything.  Well, I did get carried away with the red pepper flakes, so much to the point that I added a lot more than I should have - even Elise's eyes popped out when she saw how much I poured into the sauce.  Well, I went back to the recipe to see again how much Pioneer Woman was asking for and sure enough, her picture of her adding the flakes to the sauce was a lot more than what her recipe asked for.  I went back to scoop some flakes out and it was too late, Elise had already stirred the pot not knowing I was going to scoop some flakes out.  Oh well!!!  Hence, "That'sa one-a esspicy ehmeatball-a!!!!  Woohoo!!  It definitely had a kick but it was very good and I'm taking some for my lunch tomorrow to work :)    This Spaghetti with Meatballs was served with Buttered Sweet Corn and Buttered Garlic Rolls