Pasta with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Method

1. Prepare the minced meat: use a mix of beef and pork belly with at least 30% fat (e.g., 400g beef + 250g pork belly for 650g total). Grind the meat.
2. In a bowl, combine the minced meat with finely grated garlic, finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano, bread crumbs soaked in milk and squeezed dry, abundant fresh chopped parsley, hand-torn basil, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly until uniform.
3. Shape the mixture into meatballs and refrigerate for a few minutes to firm up.
4. Prepare the soffritto: finely chop celery, carrot, and onion. Sauté in extra virgin olive oil until softened.
5. Add crushed peeled tomatoes to the soffritto and stir.
6. Brown the meatballs in a separate pan until golden on all sides, then add them to the tomato sauce to finish cooking and absorb the flavors.
7. Make the pici pasta dough: mix flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Knead until smooth, let rest, then roll out and cut into thick, hand-rolled noodles.
8. Cook the pici in boiling salted water until al dente, then transfer to the pan with the sauce and meatballs. Toss to combine.
9. Finish with fresh hand-torn basil and serve immediately.