Tasty Tuesday Pre-Feis Spaghetti and Meatballs

Liffey Rivers won't think of eating anything but spaghetti and meatballs the night before a feis (an Irish dance competition).  Who knows what might happen if she were to eat, say, chicken.  In honor of Liffey Rivers and the Mystery of the Sparkling Solo Dress by Brenna Briggs, I am giving you a recipe for the biggest meatballs and yummiest sauce I can find.  And if spaghetti and meatballs brings good luck, then all of us should have it at least once a week. 

Giant Meatballs:
•1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin or turkey
•1 egg
•1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/4 medium onion, minced
•handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
•1 C Italian bread crumbs
•4 good shakes Worcestershire sauce
•1 t salt
•16 small cubes of provolone cheese (1/4 pound or so)I used some string cheese
•olive oil for baking sheet
 
Preheat oven to 425.


Combine meat, egg, red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, salt and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Use your hands.

Make 16 meatballs.
Tuck a piece of provolone into the middle of each meatball and seal it up as much as you can. Place meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet brushed with a little olive oil. Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes.

Marinara Sauce
*note, you could also use a can of store bought sauce if you would like

•2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
•3 garlic cloves
•red pepper flakes to taste
•2 T olive oil
•1/4 C chopped fresh Italian parsley
•1/4 C chopped fresh basil (or a couple of teaspoons of dry, in a pinch)
•1/8 C chopped fresh oregano (or a teaspoon of dry; feel free to adjust herb amounts to your liking)
•1 t sugar
•salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat, add garlic and red pepper flakes (about a teaspoon; more if you like a really spicy sauce). Saute until the garlic sizzles. Add tomatoes and stir. Then add basil, parsley, oregano, sugar (if the tomatoes are acidic), salt and pepper. Bring this to boil, stirring occasionally. Drop the heat down and let it simmer while you work on everything else.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

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