Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 6
Total Time: 2 hr 45 min
Active Time: 45 min

Indulge in the ultimate Italian-American comfort: juicy meatballs transformed into a cheesy, flavorful Amatriciana sauce. This Don Angie signature from NYC's Chef Angie Rito honors her nonna's reciperich, authentic, and irresistibly cozy. Recreate restaurant magic at home and wow your guests!

Roasted Garlic Puree

1 head garlic
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus extra as necessary

Amatriciana Sauce

4 ounces guanciale (cured pork jowl), from Italian specialty shops
1 medium red onion (about 1 cup), diced
2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes
Kosher salt
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly pureed; San Marzano DOP preferred
1 cup unsalted chicken stock

Meatballs

1 cup sourdough or white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
1 cup whole milk
1 small yellow onion, peeled and pureed in a food processor
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
8 ounces ground veal
8 ounces ground beef
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Toscano or Pecorino Romano
3 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Puree from Step 1
1 large egg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray or neutral oil for greasing

Pasta

Amatriciana Sauce from Step 2
Meatballs from Step 3
Kosher salt
1 pound dried linguine or fettuccine, bronze-cut preferred
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Toscano or Pecorino Romano

Instructions

1. Roasted Garlic Puree:

Preheat oven to 300F. Slice the top off the garlic head to expose cloves. Place cut-side down in a small baking dish; add vegetable oil halfway up the bulb. Roast until golden and tender, about 1 hour. Cool 20 minutes, then press cloves through a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, discarding skins. Yields ~1/3 cup. (Roast extras and refrigerate airtight up to 1 month.)

2. Amatriciana Sauce:

Dice guanciale into small cubes. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook guanciale until fat renders and meat browns, 3-4 minutes. Lower heat. Dice onion to match guanciale size; add with chili flakes and salt. Cook until fat renders fully, guanciale is deeply browned, and onions soften, 3-4 more minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes and stock. Boil, then simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, 25-30 minutes. Start meatballs while simmering.

3. Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 450F. Soak bread in milk. Squeeze pureed onion in a towel to drain; set aside. Drain and squeeze bread, discarding milk. In a bowl, mix bread, veal, beef, cheeses, onion, parsley, 3 tbsp garlic puree, and egg by hand until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Grease a rimmed baking sheet. Scoop and shape into ~12 meatballs with oiled hands; space evenly. Bake 12 minutes.

4. Pasta Assembly:

Rest meatballs 5-10 minutes. Off heat, break each into 3-4 pieces and stir into sauce. Boil heavily salted water. Cook pasta al dente. Meanwhile, gently boil sauce. Drain pasta; toss into sauce to coat. Melt in butter and cheeses. Serve family-style with extra grated cheesepure bliss!