I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a plateful of spaghetti and meatballs. It’s great family fare and comfort food that’s especially welcome in winter. If you’re going to make it homemade, make a lot. Tomato sauce and meatballs freezes well and made ahead of time, it’s a quick supper for a night you don’t really feel like doing much more than boiling water for pasta.

Both my grandmothers, my French grandmother, Germaine, and Assunta, born in Italy, made from-scratch noodles and pasta. It was glorious, and they fashioned it by hand. I don’t make my own pasta, because I’m lucky enough to live near a shop that specializes in fresh pasta and other Italian gourmet ingredients. But, if you don’t have access to fresh pasta or don’t have the time or desire to make your own, do shop for a premium brand of dry pasta. Two really good, readily available brands are Barilla and De Cecco, to name just two.

For meatballs that are both tasty and tender, be sure to seek quality meat and use only soft fresh breadcrumbs– not the dry kind that comes in a box. And, because homemade tomato sauce deserves first-rate tomatoes, give the kind of canned tomatoes you purchase some thought. Of course, Assunta used summer tomatoes she bottled herself for her sauce, but Muir Glen brand canned organic tomatoes are pretty darn good (forgive me, Nana), as is the less-pricey Tuttorosso line of all-natural tomatoes, which are actually products of Red Gold, Inc.

Whether it’s supper with family, or a casual dinner with friends, along with a tossed salad and a loaf of crusty bread, a pasta and meatballs meal is always a brilliant choice and one that rarely – if ever – disappoints.