Put on Dino or Frankie and get out da big pot - tonight's itsa Spaghetti and-a-Meat-a-Balls! Being 1/4 quarter Italian (and 3/4's United Nations) I do love spaghetti and so does the mister. We must eat it at least once a week - maybe more, if there are leftovers - which is rare. Even Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog loves spaghetti....he'll fly off his perch and come running when he smells it cooking and I'm constantly having to banish him from the kitchen - but his banishments never last long - his attention span is as long as the mister's...who is always hovering when the pasta is cooking so he can do the "done test"....which he does about 10 times - just to make sure.
I like my meat-a-balls to be about the size of tennis balls....and this recipe makes a nice even dozen. Of course, you can make them smaller and get more of them but why? I have an uncle who can get 13 sandwiches out of one SMALL can of tuna fish...thirteen! Everyone ends up with an "introduction" to tuna on a piece of bread - what's the point of that? And making small meatballs is like making 13 sandwiches from one can of tuna - who's going to to say, "Now, thatsa Meataball!" when you put a few paltry 
meatballs on their plate?!?
I like to use fresh tomatoes in my sauce - it really does make a difference in taste, but you can use canned if you must.
I also use Madiera in my sauce - which is said to have been Thomas Jefferson's favorite wine - and if it's good enough for one of our founding fathers...blah, blah, blah...(but a good dry wine will work in place of Madiera.)
The addition of cream at the very end of the cooking gives this sauce it's lucious color and taste...it's been our family's favorite for as long as I can remember. This recipe is a compliation of several different family recipes - tweaked until we got it just right. This is also our Christmas Day dinner - and we always take a minute to salute my Italian Grandpa Zezza who loved a good plate of spaghetti.
Zezza's Spaghetti and-a-Meat-a-Balls
For the Meatballs:
4 slices Italian bread
1 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2 lbs. ground beef chuck
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, or to taste
Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes then squeeze and discard milk. Combine bread, eggs, beef, sausage and remaining ingredients except olive oil in large bowl. Knead with hands until smooth and mixed. Shape into balls, tennis ball size. Put meatballs on tray, cover with plastic and chill for 1 hour.
Pur olive oil in large skillet and fry meatballs on all sides until browned. Put in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until done. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (prefer Roma's)
1 can, 15 oz., tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup Madiera or dry red wine
1/2 cup cream
Put olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions until tender and soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, but do not let garlic brown. Add tomatoes and liquid, tomato sauce and all spices and Madiera. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute. Turn heat down and simmer, with lid off for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add cream, do not boil, but heat thoroughly. Serve hot over pasta and meat balls. Serves 4 Italians.....or 6 of any other nationality.
'O SOLE MIO
G. Capurro / E. Di Capua
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole,
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa...
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
‘o sole, ‘o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
sta 'nfronte a te!
Lùcene 'e llastre d'a fenesta toia; 'na lavannara canta e se ne vanta
e pe' tramente torce, spanne e canta lùcene 'e llastre d'a fenesta toia.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
‘o sole, ‘o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
sta 'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
me vene quase 'na malincunia; sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
Ma n'atu sole cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
'o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
‘o sole, ‘o sole mio sta 'nfronte a te!
sta 'nfronte a te!
