Orecchiette with Mini Meatballs

Step 1

Smash 5 peeled garlic cloves with the back of a knife. Peel and halve 1 medium white or yellow onion. Place 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes and their juices in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment (do in 2 batches if the processor is very full). Pulse until almost smooth, about 10 (1-second) pulses. (Alternatively, crush the tomatoes by hand.)

Step 2

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden brown, about for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Add the tomatoes (be careful, they will splatter!), onion, 6 fresh basil sprigs, and 1 bay leaf. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens a little bit, and oil droplets appear on the surface, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make the meatballs. (Remove the sauce from the heat if it is ready but the meatballs aren’t.)

Step 4

Tear 3 slices white sandwich bread into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk and stir until the bread is moistened. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, prepare the following, adding each to the bowl with the soaking bread as it is completed but not stirring it in: Finely chop 6 garlic cloves (about 2 tablespoons). Pick the leaves from 1/2 medium bunch fresh parsley and finely chop (about 1/3 cup). Grate 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese on the smallest holes of a box grater (about 1 cup), or measure out 2/3 cup store-bought grated cheese.

Step 6

Have a rimmed baking sheet ready. Add 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the bowl. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Step 7

Roll the mixture into little marble-sized meatballs (about a heaping teaspoon each) and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. You will have 90 to 100 meatballs.

Step 8

Heat 1 cup canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the meatballs in batches of 20 to 25: Add to the pan in a single layer and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side (they will not be fully cooked). Transfer to a second baking sheet lined with paper towels or a wire rack. You will have more meatballs than will fit in the sauce, so cook the last batch until cooked all the way through, then freeze or refrigerate for another use.

Step 9

Remove and discard the onion and bay leaf from the sauce. Add the meatballs to the sauce so they are submerged in the sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes.

Step 10

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound dried orecchiette and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Step 11

Add the pasta to sauce and meatballs and stir to combine. Add 3 tablespoons butter and stir until the butter is melted, adding some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time if the pasta looks too dry. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, 1 to 3 minutes more. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Serve garnished with more grated cheese.