Rigatoni pasta with meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 6 thick slices of crusty bread
• 340 g of ground beef
• 340 g of minced pork
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for serving
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cups olive oil

Rigatoni and sauce

• 900 g rigatoni pasta, cooked until al dente
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 0.5 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 can (800 g) of canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (800 g) of canned whole tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced ​​(optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 95°C (205°F). Break the bread into pieces. Process in a food processor until fine crumbs form and place the bread on a baking sheet. Dry in the oven for about 30 minutes.
2. Meatballs:
   
   In a large bowl, combine the two types of ground meat. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt, and a little black pepper. Mix with clean hands to distribute the ingredients evenly.
3. Using a spoon, scoop out the meat mixture and form into meatballs (about 25). Place them on a baking sheet and freeze for 10-15 minutes, just until the meatballs firm up.
4. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Working with 8-10 meatballs at a time, fry them until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per batch. While you prepare the sauce, remove the meatballs from the pan to a plate.
5. Sauce:
   
   Add the garlic and onion to the same pan. Stir and cook until the onion begins to soften, 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another minute (skip this step if you're not using wine). Add the pureed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, sugar, salt, and black pepper to taste.
   
   Stir the sauce to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add a little water to thin the sauce if needed. Then add the parsley, basil, and meatballs! Stir gently, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the meatballs are cooked through.
6. Place the rigatoni pasta on a large platter, top with the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley and serve with grated Parmesan.