Mario Batali's Spaghetti on a Stick

Ingredients

Basic tomato sauce:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• ½ medium carrot, finely shredded
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes
• Salt to taste

Meatballs and spaghetti:

• 3 cups day-old bread, in 1-inch cubes
• 1 ¼ pounds ground beef
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ cup grated pecorino cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted for 5 minutes in a 400-degree oven
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ½ cups basic tomato sauce (see recipe, above)
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 pieces soft flatbread for serving

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    1469 calories; 76 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 37 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 136 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 23 grams sugars; 63 grams protein; 265 milligrams cholesterol; 5700 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings (plus extra meatballs and sauce)

Preparation

Basic tomato sauce

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes, until carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Simmer 30 minutes, until thick as hot cereal. Season with salt.

Meatballs and spagattii

1. Soak the bread in water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your fingers.
2. Combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, toasted pine nuts, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and mix with wet hands. Form the mixture into 16 to 18 meatballs.
3. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil on medium until almost smoking. Add the meatballs and, working in batches to avoid crowding, cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, cover and simmer all the meatballs for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, until tender but still al dente. Drain well in a colander.
5. Meanwhile, gently reheat the meatballs and sauce. Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan and toss until completely coated.
6. Twirl the pasta on 4 9-inch skewers. To hold the pasta in place, seal one end with a meatball and then wrap the skewer with a soft flatbread, like a tortilla, pita or, ideally, a freshly baked pizza bread.

2 hours