1 kg lean minced steak
500g minced pork or sausage meat
1 large white onion
1 egg
a nice bunch of chopped parsley
3 gloves garlic
some fresh chopped oregano
1/4 lemon
sea salt
cracked black pepper
8 chopped basil leaves
dry chili flakes
1/2 bottle of decent red wine (remember if it's not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with)
1 tube of tomato puree or a small can of it
two bottles passata
and last but not least - good olive oil

Combine the meats together with your hands and add the egg, half of all the herbs, 1 of the garlic cloves (chopped fine), 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes, salt+pepper and a little oil. Knead this into a nice textured mass and leave covered at room temperature for 1 hour.

Next is the sauce.

In a large deep saucepan, put a nice big glug of olive oil into the bottom on a medium to high heat and sweat off the remaining garlic, herbs and onion (chopped finely).

Stir with a wooden spoon (metal one is tainting the flavours) until onions are ever so slightly transparent - NO COLOUR ! (this is very important).

Add the wine to the pan, turning down the heat to medium and let the wine reduce and absorb into the onions by 3/4. This forms a strong base for the sauce.

Next, add the passata, 1/2 pint of cold water and the tomato puree and stir for 10 minutes. I can't stress enough at this point how important it is for you not to let the sauce stick! Squeeze in the lemon juice (It just brings out the flavour of the tomatoes - a lovely one) and add some salt pepper and pinch of sugar.

Put in your newly formed meatballs that you have by now fashioned from the meat mixture and drop this ones into the sauce, let it cook out for 2 hours on a simmer down, but you must give it constant care and love or it will stick and tarnish flavour.

Stir every 10-15 minutes, adding a little bit water or wine to keep it thin whilst it is cooking. When you want it to thicken, leave off the lid and turn up heat and stir constantly. It will evaporate all the water and you are left with a very nice sauce.

Serve over hot pasta tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and with a nice salad of Lollo Rosso (a beautifully red-tinged frilly Italian loose head lettuce), pomodori tomatoes and parmesan shavings. Make a dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of basil, oregano and lemon juice.

Servings for 4-5 hungry ones.

Buon appetito !!

Cooks Note: The meatballs may first be browned in a little olive oil in a skillet or in the oven before being added to the sauce, which is what we traditionally do. The oil is well infused with crushed garlic and a pinch of hot pepper flakes.

Submitted by: Hazio Ollicelli