Sunday Meat Sauce with Orecchiette Pasta

Ingredients:

• 3 slices white bread, toasted and cut into 0.5 cm pieces.
• 0.5 cups of milk
• 350 g of ground beef
• 350 g of minced pork
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (optional)
• 10 cloves garlic; 2 minced, 8 crushed
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 kg beef shank with bone
• 0.9 kg Italian sausage (half sweet, half spicy), divided in half
• 1 medium onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 x 800g cans of San Marzano plum tomatoes
• 1 can of 350 g tomato paste
• 6 bay leaves
• 450 gr. orecchiette pasta

Preparation:

1. Soak the bread in milk until the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with the egg, cheese, minced garlic, parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Add the soaked bread and mix with your hands until smooth. Form the meatballs.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the beef shank and sausage to the pan and cook until golden brown, turning, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a large bowl.
3. Add the onion and minced garlic to the pan and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
4. Place the crushed tomatoes in a saucepan and pour in the juices. Add the tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add 5 cups of water and the bay leaf, then return the meatballs, beef shank, and sausage to the pan and mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, or until the shank is very tender. Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce thickens and the shank meat falls off the bone, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer all the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover with foil. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain and toss the pasta with enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta, then top with more sauce and the meat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.