½cuppecorino romano cheese - shredded, alternatively use Parmesan
1mediumeggs
½teaspoonparsley
1clovegarlic
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground black pepper
2tablespoonsolive oil
Sauce
1mediumred onion - chopped
4clovesgarlic
3tablespoonsolive oil
3 ½poundstomato - can of crushed tomatoes
¾cuptomato paste
½cupMarsala wine
⅓teaspoonred pepper flakes
1tablespoonoregano
1tablespoonbasil
1tablespoonparsley
½teaspoonground black pepper
Instructions
First mix up the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine one pound of ground venison, ⅓ pound of ground pork, ½ cup Italian Bread crumbs, ½ c Romano cheese, 1 clove garlic minced, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp parsley, and 1 egg. Using your hands, mix these ingredients thoroughly. It will be pretty sticky. The recipe called for water as needed to keep it soft. I didn’t add any water to mine, but you should know it’s an option.
Roll the meat mixture into 1½” balls and keep them on a sheet of wax paper. Set the meatballs aside or in the fridge while you prep the sauce.
Now let’s start the sauce. Coarsely mince 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
and 3 or 4 slices of onion. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pot and saute.
While the onions are caramelising, heat olive oil in a skillet and add half of the meatballs without overcrowding the pan. Lightly brown the meatballs, occasionally turning, while you finish prepping the sauce.
Once the onions are softened, add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute, just enough to soften the garlic.
After one minute, pour about ½ c Marsala or another red cooking wine.
Stir the wine and the sautéed veggies together and simmer for about three minutes.
Stir in two large cans of crushed tomatoes. Add tomato paste and stir the sauce.
Add basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley, and pepper. Stir and bring to a low simmer.
By this point, the first batch of meatballs should be lightly browned.
You don’t want to thoroughly cook the meatballs, just brown them enough that they’ll easily keep their shape when added to the sauce. Throw the first meatballs into the sauce and brown the next set.
Repeat this step until all the meatballs are lightly browned and submerged in the sauce.
Add a lid to the pot and let it simmer over low heat.
Now comes the easy part. Pour a glass of vino, sit down with your computer, and browse through the web.
Do this for the next four hours, getting up only to refill your glass and stir the sauce every 15 to 20 minutes.
In the last twenty minutes, prepare a 16-ounce package of spaghetti according to the package directions, and toast up some garlic bread.
Serve the Meatballs over a heaping pile of spaghetti, top off your glass of vino, and enjoy the flavours of your labour.