Meatball Sauce

Yield: Enough sauce for the Salty Fig Meatball Recipe for 80 meatballs

Ingredients:

8~ 28 oz cans San Marzano Style Tomatoes, drained, but not crushed, juice reserved

1 head of garlic, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

4 large springs rosemary

1 Tablespoon salt, Kosher

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 sweet onions, julienned

4 oz pancetta

2 Tablespoons thyme, fresh

12 cups chicken broth, homemade preferable, but not necessary

Reserved tomato juice (above)

2 Tablespoons salt, Kosher

1 Tablespoon oregano, Greek

1 cup milk, 2%

Parmesan cheese, rind

Method:

Preheat oven to 400ºF convection, 425ºF bake

1. Place in a non aluminum roasting pan (a turkey roasting pan works great!).

2. Add the garlic cloves, olive oil, rosemary and 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour. Discard the rosemary at the end of roasting.

3. In a large stock pot heat two tablespoons olive oil, add the onions, pancetta and thyme; cook slowly until the onions are translucent and the pancetta rendered.

4. Add the chicken broth, reserved tomato juice, 2 Tablespoons Kosher salt, oregano and roasted tomatoes.  Using a hand blender, puree the sauce. Bring to a simmer, add the milk and Parmesan cheese rind.  Simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn't scorch.

5. Add the Salty Fig Meatballs....