Spaghetti and meatballs might be famous around the world, but this version is pure Abruzzo. In the province of Teramo, we don’t pile giant sized meatballs on top of pasta. We make tiny, delicate polpettine that melt into a slow-cooked tomato sugo and wrap themselves around thick strands of Spaghetti alla Chitarra, creating what might just be the best bowl of spaghetti you will ever have. This recipe uses just a handful of simple pantry staples. Ground beef, egg yolk and plenty of grated Pecorino Romano form the mini tender meatballs. No bay leaves, no breadcrumbs, no unnecessary extras. The sugo begins with a blended soffritto cooked gently in extra virgin olive oil, then combined with smooth peeled tomatoes and a whole stick of celery to give vibrant flavor to the sauce as it simmers for nearly an hour. Fresh basil is torn in by hand at the end, never cut, so it keeps its aroma bright and clean. This is how spaghetti and meatballs is done in proper Italian way. And once you try it this way, it is very hard to go back.