Step 1

For the Neapolitan tomato sauce:

Step 2

Put the chuck beef, onion, garlic, celery, crushed red pepper and oregano in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and roast uncovered until the meat is browned, 6 to 7 minutes.

Step 3

Add the plum tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce does not burn on the bottom of the pot.

Step 4

Add the canned tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from heat and purée the sauce using either a food mill or a food processor, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to use (the sauce can hold in the refrigerator for about a week, or up to 1 month if frozen in an airtight container).

Step 7

For the polpettine:

Step 8

Put the ground chuck, parsley, soaked white bread, ricotta, garlic, Parmigiano, oregano and eggs in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon or with your hands using food-safe gloves. Season with salt and pepper (you can also test-cook a small patty to taste for seasoning and adjust from that).

Step 9

Scoop out a small amount of meatball mixture and roll into small balls, about the size of the tip of your thumb. Store on parchment-lined baking sheets in the refrigerator until chilled all the way through (about 1 hour), then cook according to the directions below.

Step 10

To serve:

Step 11

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil (the water should have the salinity of broth).

Step 12

While you wait for the water to boil, in a large pan, warm 3 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the oil, then add the polpettine in a single layer and sauté them until warmed through and browned.

Step 13

Spoon the polpettine into a separate 6- to 8-inch-deep pan (you can use the pan that the tomato sauce was cooked in, if large enough), add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 14

Add the pasta to the pan and cook until just shy of al dente (about 75% done), about 3 minutes. Remove and reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta (do not rinse it).

Step 15

Increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high, then add the pasta to the pan along with some of the pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir to completely coat the pasta with the sauce; when you shake the pan, the sauce and pasta should move together.

Step 16

Remove from heat, add the cheese, the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil, and toss until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Step 17

Recipe from Peace, Love, and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef's Home Kitchen by Scott Conant. Published by Abrams Books 2021.