Italian Meatballs

My family loves nothing more than a good plate of spaghetti and meatballs. This meatball recipe is the one we enjoy!

-Ina Garten - slightly modified

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (1 hot dog bun works well :)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, or 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 extra-large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg and egg in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs. (Or about 30 1-inch meatballs)

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. (Less for smaller meatballs) Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

Add meatballs to your sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.