3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
28-ounce can, plus 8-ounce can, crushed tomatoes (Salamida uses Stanislaus, a brand that is not readily available at retail. Use the best quality canned tomato you can find.)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
To make the sauce:
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmery, and add the onion. Saute over medium heat, stirring, until onion softens and turns translucent, but does not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook about 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and simmer on low heat another 20 minutes.
To make meatballs:
Combine all the meats, and work them together well, with a large fork or your hands. Mix in the breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese and seasonings. Work in the beaten egg, first with a fork, then with wet hands, until the mixture is blended well and ingredients seem evenly distributed.
In a frying pan, heat about ¼ inch of vegetable oil. Roll meat mixture into balls (Johnny V’s likes them large, up to 2 inches in diameter.) Cook meatballs well, turning so all sides get browned and crusty. Remove, drain and place in a warm oven to hold until sauce is ready. Before serving, add meatballs to sauce to heat through. Serve with spaghetti. Makes 12-15 large meatballs.