Spaghetti with meatballs

Spaghetti with meatballs
serves 4

For meatballs:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 slice white bread, crusts cut off
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh parsley, minced very fine
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes (2 - 500g cans), chopped, also reserve the juice
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
another handful of fresh parsley, minced fine

1 pound of spaghetti

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and add the milk. Allow the mixture to soak for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix lightly with your hands. Form into 2-inch meatballs.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the meatballs and brown for 3.4 minutes, Turn over and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
4. Pour all but 3 tablespoons of oil out of the pan. Over medium heat, add the shallots. Allow to soften for 3 minutes or so. Add the wine and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, start boiling the water for the spaghetti.
6. Uncover the saucepan. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.Â
7. Make the spaghetti according to the directions.Â
8. Add the parsley to the sauce and stir. Serve with the spaghetti and pass the Parmigiano!