Let's start the first "cooking class" with a fairly simple, well loved dish, macaroni and meatballs.  Those of us who are Italian-American know how much we loved the meatballs as they were coming out of the frying pan before being slow simmered in
a pot of sauce (which then becomes the Italian-American classic Sunday Gravy).  This dish gives you the sauce and pasta, and
the fried goodness of the meatballs.  Think of it as a mini buffet...in your plate.  Ok, first i'll give the ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef, pork, veal, or turkey...best with a mix of beef and pork, because the higher the fat content, the more natural flavor
in the meat,  veal for a lighter meatball, and turkey( ground breast only, regular ground turkey doesn't have the same benefits, and the taste is different) if you are trying to cut as much fat out of your diet as you can.
1/2 cup diced (small dice) of caciocavallo cheese...provolone (Imported) is a stronger flavor, but is a substitute as caciocavallo may not be obtainable in all areas.  But for this dish, seek out the caciocavallo..a great Sicilian cheese with a salty, subtle bite to it..
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
lots of ground pepper, like 3/4tsp.
2 tbs. Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Martins' potato rolls, soaked in water, then squeezed out
2 finely minced cloves of garlic
2 28 oz. cans of San Marzano Imported Italian Tomatoes.   Don't let the labels fool you...the'll say Italian Style, or Stilo Italiano, or San Marzanos from , well not the particular area of Campania, Italy where the San Marzano Tomato flourishes in the rich volcanic soil and torrid Italian sunshine...they taste different because of where they are raised...a softer tomato than the U.S. packed ones...seek them out...they make a difference...trust me...Let me further rant on this, Tuttorosso Brand. for example, always on sale in New York and New Jersey supermarkets, read the ingredients...tomatoes, concentrate, citric acid, salt, flavorings, spices, other additives..these cans of nastiness are overcooked, overprocessed and have too many seasonings in them..The tomato bits are suspended in the concentrate and water ...horrible..a real can of Imported Italian tomatoes should contain Tomatoes, fresh basil leaf, maybe salt...
1/2 onion diced finely
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
olive oil
1/2 cup pecorino romano
a few fennel seeds
fresh basil
1 lb al dente cooked and drained DiCecco Rigatoni ( no reason, I like them, you will too).

Let's start cooking~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



In a heavy saucepot, coat bottom of the pan with olive oil.  Place on medium heat.  Add the onions,  Salt them.  Let
saute' for a good 8 minutes stirring frequently.  Then add the garlic and some parsley, maybe 1 tsp.  Add some pepper,
and saute' for another 5 minutes until it looks like the picture above.  The onions and garlic should be "translucent" and
soft.  Add the two cans of tomatoes which you have crushed with your hands.  Stir well, check for seasoning and  add the
fennel seeds.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently.





After about 30 minutes, this is what your sauce should look like.  Thickened, bright tomato red, NOT DEEP RED BRICK
color...a Marinara is a sauce which takes only a little time to cook, there should still be a freshness to the taste, bright and
tomatoey....i'm just saying....don't overcook it...The final touch is to add some fresh torn basil leaves and fresh parsley..

OK, while the sauce is cooking, you can start the meatballs,  "Polpette" in Italian.  They can be simmered in the sauce or
as this class will show you, be served crispy and as a side to the pasta and sauce.  Again, try this for something different.
Fried meatballs I think, are the most evocative foods of my childhood, and I'll take the liberty of saying that  most Italian-Ameri-
cans remember this as on of the good things that came out of their kitchens.  I wish Yankee Candle had a scent called Sunday
Morning Meatballs...I'd buy it...



In a large bowl, add the parsley, egg, pecorino, garlic, caciocavallo, black pepper...mix well.  Then
add the bread and 2 tbs. of Italian bread crumbs. Add the oil.  Blend well.  Then add the meat
and gently blend all the ingredients in the bowl together.  Note I'm not adding salt, the cheese
will be salty enough.  The blended mixture should look like the picture below.



Now  form them into small 1 1/2" balls.  Fry them in a large skillet on medium heat,
turning after 5 minutes on each side.  Check them frequently as all pans and stoves
conduct heat differently.  They should take about 10 minutes total to cook and you may
need to cook them in batches.  Remove them to a heated platter while waiting for all
of them to finish. 



Get the idea!!??  While these are cooking, put up a pot of water, plenty of it, and bring
it to a boil.  Salt the water.  Cook the pasta according to the directions, usually Rigatoni
will be done to al dente in 10-11 minutes.  Drain.  In a large bowl, toss the Rigatoni
into it, add some pecorino, then add a few ladles of sauce.  Serve the Rigatoni dressed
with the sauce and some more pecorino...the meatballs on the side.  Start to finish, if you
have all of your ingredients and cookware ready, should be just under an hour.  I timed
it tonight. 
So often I'm complemented on the flavor of my meatballs..."they taste like (insert here
a dead Italian relative from 30 years ago) used to...how do you do that?" Secret, CHEESE
and the use of soft bread (pane di mollica) instead of lots of bread crumbs which
makes them harder and denser...don't skimp on the cheese...and use the right cheese, not
the kind that comes in the green can...No food snobbery here, just authentic, genuine
tastes.  Now try this sometime this week and let me know how you do...I'm very interested!!



Your dinner should look like this.....Buon Appetito