New Classic Meatballs and Sauce Ricotta cheese helps to make these meatballs moist and delicious Yield Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs Meatballs 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds 80 percent lean ground beef 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 large eggs 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel 4 cups Classic Tomato Sauce Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle olive oil into a 9-by 13-inch baking dish; using your hand, evenly coat entire surface. Set aside. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together beef, ricotta, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red-pepper flakes, and fennel until fully incorporated. Roll mixture into firmly packed 1 1/2-inch balls. Place meatballs in prepared baking dish, taking care to line them up snugly so that they are touching one another in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. Transfer baking dish to oven. Bake until meatballs are firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 165 degrees. Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove meatballs from oven and carefully drain excess grease from pan. Pour heated sauce over meatballs and return to oven; cook for 15 minutes more. Serve. Classic Sauce 1/4 cup olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 (26-ounce) boxes chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi, or 2 (28-ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes in their juices, chopped Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking 5 minutes more. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning. Season with salt, if desired. Remove bay leaf before serving. Note: There is the Old Classic way of doing things and now the New (in my search for new techniques)...and I have to say that the meatballs are the very best I've ever had. Now what drew me to the New Classic sauce is that the recipe calls for Pomi.. which is the type of tomotoes I've come to depend on (they are in a box, not in a can) I'm getting used to the new sauce as well. Both the Old and New will be available for you to try for yourself and decide. Back to Italian Foods