SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 jar Roasted Eggplant Sauce
1 LB ground meat
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk, any kind
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more to serve
2 Tbsp finely grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more to serve
2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 large eggs
1 LB spaghetti alla chitarra

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of very well-salted water to boil and heat your oven to 425º F. Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, and coat it lightly with olive oil.

Place ground meat, bread crumbs, milk, parsley, cheese, 2 teaspoons sea salt, eggs into a large bowl and mix everything together with a fork. Using hands (or a tablespoon) form mixture into 2-inch meatballs and arrange on prepared tray. Roast for 12 minutes, until cooked through.

Once water is boiling, cook spaghetti until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of cooking water before draining pasta.

When meatballs come out of the oven, add them and the 1 jar of Roasted Eggplant Sauce into a pot over medium heat and stir so they are coated. Reduce heat to a low simmer, put a lid on the pot, and simmer meatballs in the sauce for 10 minutes. At this point, you can remove them from the heat and set aside.

When you’re ready to serve: return your spaghetti to its empty cooking pot. Push meatballs aside and grab a few ladles of the Roasted Eggplant Sauce and pour over spaghetti. (Use additional pasta water as needed to loosen, if necessary.) Use tongs to transfer spaghetti into a large, wide serving bowl. Add the meatballs and sauce on top. Garnish with parsley and grated cheese.