Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

 

Adapted from Rachel Ray

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin ( I bought top sirloin steaks and used my VitaMix blender to ground it up!)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (I used frozen hard crusty bread and blended it in my VitaMix)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil.
3. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup can beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sliced zucchini or spinach
• 1 tablespoon corn starch (I added to thicken sauce, unless you like it soupy)
• Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for garnish

1. Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat.
2. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion.
3. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft.
4. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, zucchini and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.