Spaghetti & Meatballs

Last night I made Barefoot Contessa's Spaghetti & Meatballs. It turned out so fabulous that I had to share. Of course, I did make some minor changes to her recipe as I didn't have some ingredients on hand. As always, here is my version:

Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 t. dried oregano
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. freshly grated Asiago cheese
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 T. good olive oil
1 c. chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2 c. good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1/2 T. tomato paste
1 T. chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Asiago

Directions
For the meatballs:
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Asiago, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water 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.
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. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, salt, and pepper. Return the meatballs to the 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 Asiago.