Directions

1. In medium mixing bowl, add panko, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, parm, pesto, and a pinch of salt. Mix together with a whisk. Add cream and egg and whisk until combined.

   

2. Add in Italian sausage and gently mix with your hands until JUST combined. Do not over-work or you’ll end up with tough meatballs. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and set aside.

   

3. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Carefully add meatballs and just sear on all sides until golden brown. If they stick when you try to turn them, they aren’t ready to turn! They will loosen from the bottom of the pot when they’re seared nicely, so be patient and let them do their thing. Note: the goal here is not to cook them through. They will finish cooking in your sauce. Remove from oil and set aside.

   

4. Add your onion and garlic to the same oil and sweat them until translucent. You may need to drop your heat a bit to avoid burning. Season with salt and pepper and add your tomato paste. Cook until paste begins to turn deeper brick red.

   

5. Pour in your canned tomatoes. With an immersion blender, blend all together until mostly smooth. You should still have a few small chunks here and there. Note: you can use a regular blender for this if you’d like, but MAN immersion blenders are so much more convenient so I highly recommend investing in one.

   

6. Add your sugar and basil leaves to the sauce and mix together. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Your sauce should reduce a bit. Taste for seasoning.

   

7. Add your meatballs directly to your sauce and continue to cook another 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

8. Meanwhile, cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water to Al dente, per package instructions.

   

9. Drain pasta and add to your sauce and meatballs. Mix together until coated in sauce and evenly incorporated.

   

10. Plate pasta and serve with freshly grated parm on top. Enjoy!