USA Rice, Sunsweet, Ninja, Chef's Choice, and thanks to the generous support of: - [Announcer] The 2016 Subaru Legacy, with symmetrical all-wheel drive plus 36 MPG.

It pairs well with every kind of road.

Subaru, proud sponsor of Sara's Weeknight Meals.

(light exotic music) - Italian food is always a favorite in my household.

- [Mark] Look at those meatballs.

- Oh, wow.

Today, on Sara's Weeknight Meals, two of my favorite Italian chefs.

Should I get out of the way?

Are you gonna hook me?

- [Dave] No, I'm not gonna hook ya.

- Starting with Dave Pasternack of New York's Esca.

Is this a crime scene, here?

- This is a ... - That's the dead body.

- That is a black sea bass.

To me, that is the Rolls Royce of a fish.

- He's making a spectacular salt-baked fish using his favorite, black bass.

Oh, wow.

- [Dave] You could smell all of those aromatics.

- Then, Philadelphia's Italian chef, Mark Vetri, takes me to the best shops in Philly's Italian Market.

- This is the first place that I'd ever shop in.

My dad, he used to work here.

- [Butcher] Oh, the meatball mix?

- [Mark] Exactly.

- [Sara] We're getting ingredients for his father, Sal's, meatballs in a really unusual sauce.

- [Mark] You're gonna love it.

- To Sal.

And, on Ask Sara.

- I love putting cherry tomatoes on my salad, but it just takes so long to cut them.

- Cool trick to show you.

So, you went fishing with this guy from Ocean Reef?

- Yeah, he had a 48-foot boat.

- Today, my friend, Chef Dave Pasternack, promised me a fishing lesson before we go back to the kitchen to cook.

You promise you won't laugh?

- I won't.

- Okay.

- [Dave] Oh, that's good.

You did good.

- Now what?

- Let it go, let it go.

- Not only is he one of the top seafood chefs in the city, he grew up fishing on Long Island.

Should I get out of the way?

Are you gonna hook me?

- [Dave] No, I'm not gonna hook ya.

- [Sara] So, we'll see if the fish are biting today.

I don't think anything's happening.

- Well, you see, you gotta be in it to win it.

- Dave.

- I'm doing.

- I was going the wrong way.

- It's okay.

Oh, look, you got something.

You got a little weed.

- I felt something, but now I don't.

I could see why this is very zen.

- [Dave] Come on, fishies.

(peaceful guitar music) - [Sara] Come on, fishies.

- [Dave] Yeah, well, we gave it a good shot.

- We did.

Oh, well, you know what?

We didn't catch any fish, but that really was fun.

- It was fun.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- [Sara] We gotta get back there and get cooking.

- Yeah, we gotta get back there.

Good therapy, right?

- [Sara] It was.

- Gotta get the technique down.

- Alright.

Hi, I'm Sara Moulton.

Welcome to Sara's Weeknight Meals.

There's nothing more impressive than serving someone an easy and elegantly prepared whole fish for two, and my buddy here, Dave, is gonna show me how to do just that, but we're gonna bake it with a salt crust.

- We're gonna bake it in a crust of salt, yep.

- What are you doing?

Is this a crime scene here?

- This is a ... - That's the dead body.

- This is a crime scene, so what we're gonna do is we're gonna make a template to put the fish on the plate, so the paper sits underneath it, so that when we take it out of the oven, it comes right off.

- Oh, that's so cool.

And what kind of fish are we dealing with?

- That is a black sea bass.

To me, that is the Rolls Royce of a fish.

It has a great white, sticky meat.

It's really, for me, it's one of the great fish.

We have lots of them here in the Long Island that we catch all the time, all winter, all summer.

- So, that's one of your favorite fish to catch?

- It is one of my favorite fish to catch.

It's also one of my favorite fish to eat.

- Okay, so I'm getting some lemons together.

We're gonna put some aromatics inside the fish.

- We're gonna stuff the cavity of the fish with the lemon and the garlic, so we'll put the fish right down in here, right on.

- [Sara] When you buy a fish whole, what are you looking for?

- We use a good expression.

It has cowl eyes, where the eyes are actually bulging out of the head, alright, which is always important.

You wanna make sure the gills are real tight to the thing.

It should have slime.

It should look shiny.

The scale should be real tight-looking, and the meat should be firm.

When you touch it, if you push on it, it should bounce right back.

- [Sara] Okay.

- So what we're gonna do is we're gonna save the parsley for something else, and we'll use the stem.

- Oh, just the stems.

We get some lemons.

- Just gonna use the stems.

We're gonna use the lemons, alright.

We're gonna put a couple cloves of garlic in there, and crush them down a little bit.

- [Sara] With a Dave Pasternack.

- Just use you back of your hand or you could use a knife if you don't wanna have your hands smell like garlic all day.

- [Sara] And this is a what size fish?

- This is a two pound fish.

This will be good for two people.

Alright, we're gonna drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the outside of the fish so that the salt comes off a little bit easier, and then we're gonna mix the salt, so we're gonna put a little pinch underneath.

Just under, if you'll grab that paper.

- [Sara] Yes.

- [Dave] Gonna put a little bit of salt.

- Okay.

- Perfect.

And then, what we wanna do with the salt is we're gonna add our egg whites.

- That's three large egg whites to about three cups of fine sea salt.

- Fine sea salt, but we wanna mix it til it's just the texture of barely wet sand.

- [Sara] Oh, that's very poetic.

- Because if the salt is too dry, gonna shatter.

If it's too wet, it does the same thing.

- So this paste is literally gonna bake onto the fish and sort of insulate it.

- Insulate it.

- So the fish is just gonna cook in its own juices.

- It's definitely one of the oldest methods of cooking, and then, what we wanna do is we wanna cover the whole fish, so we're gonna back.

Alright, so we're gonna start at the head, and then we're gonna work our way back.

- [Sara] Is this fish gonna taste very salty?

- [Dave] No, it's actually, at the end, we're gonna have to add salt to it.

- [Sara] Really?

- [Dave] Because in the process, the salt acts as, really, as a cooking case, so it doesn't really impart the flavor of the salt.

We wanna make sure it's covered pretty well, okay.

I leave the tail uncovered, 'cause I like the way it looks.

You could decorate it if you want.

You could put some finger spots on it.

- [Sara] Okay.

- Then, we're gonna put it into the oven.

- I'll pop it in, while you might wanna rinse your hands.

I've got a bowl of soapy water in there, and this is 400 degrees for 20 minutes?

- [Dave] About 18 to 20 minutes.

- Okay.

- Depending on, you know your own oven.

And when it comes out of the oven, we're gonna let it rest, and it's just like resting a piece of meat.

- Okay, alright.

I just wanted you to tell me the kind of greens.

We're gonna make some braised greens now.

Can you tell me what we're using?

We've already got some rinsed and ripped and everything.

- We have broccoli rabe.

Alright, we have escarole, as the old Italians say, scarola.

We have some different kinds of Swiss chard here.

Alright, and then we have what they call the lacinatos kale, which is the Tuscan kale.

- [Sara] Alright, so we've got some pancetta in there, about six ounces.

- Yep, you gotta get your garlic sliced.

- Do you want the garlic in now?

- Right in.

- Okay.

- [Dave] We're just gonna lightly toast the garlic with the.

- Pancetta?

- Pancetta.

- Oh, you need a spoon?

Here we go.

And then, all our greens go in, huh?

- All are greens gonna go in.

I like my greens cooked.

- [Sara] Okay, well done.

- [Dave] Well done.

- No crunchy greens for you.

- In the south, in the south of Italy, in the south of the United States, that's how they eat it.

So, now we're gonna add our cleaned, washed greens.

Alright.

- [Sara] Do you need to dry them really well, or it doesn't matter?

- It doesn't really matter, but you wanna really make sure that you wash them well.

We're gonna add a little bit of water while they're cooking.

You could season it with a little bit of salt and pepper.

- [Sara] Okay.

And this is gonna cook way down, right?

- This is gonna cook way down.

Give it a shot of water into this.

Gonna put the top on, and I'm gonna go check the fish, 'cause it's probably close to being.

- You know, I was beginning to smell it.

Julia Child had a rule.

Usually, when you can smell it, it's done.

- Oh, yeah, this is definitely done.

- Okay.

I'll close the door.

And how do you know it's done?

- I can tell by the color of the salt, especially around the outside edge.

See how it browned.

It's also been in the oven for almost 20 minutes, and we're gonna let it rest at least for five minutes.

- Wow, that cooked down.

Should I add a little more salt?

- I would definitely add a little bit more seasoning.

- [Sara] Are we gonna end up getting all of that in there?

- Probably.

I mean, you know, it cooks down.

You could see, I mean, you may wanna add a little bit more water to it, too.

- [Sara] So go for all this?

- [Dave] I would put it all in.

- [Sara] Okay, and the total cooking time for the greens?

- You wanna cook them til they're tender.

It's gonna take 15, 20 minutes.

- Okay, so we have a little ways to go on the greens.

- Alright, so now we're gonna crack the salt, so what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give it a couple whacks.

Alright, you can see, if you mix the salt good, it comes out nice and hard, and it doesn't shatter as much.

Like you smell it?

- Oh, wow.

- You could smell all those aromatics.

- [Sara] Perfectly seasoned.

- We only put it like a little bit, right?

So then, what we're gonna do is we're gonna remove the fish.

- [Sara] Now I see why you have the parchment.

No muss, no fuss.

- First thing we're gonna do is we're gonna remove the skin.

On the sea bass, the skin's a little bit sticky.

- I can see that, yeah.

Just sort of scrape it off.

- Just sort of scrape it off.

Sometimes the skin will come nice and easy.

- [Sara] Just be patient.

It's like anything else.

- [Dave] Just have to be a little bit patient.

- [Sara] It's quite a flaky fish, isn't it?

- It is quite a flaky fish.

- [Sara] I can see that it's very, very, very fresh.

- [Dave] You can see, it's super moist, right?

And that's one of the great things about this whole process, is that the fish comes out extremely, extremely moist.

(upbeat guitar music) We're gonna go salt on the fish.

Little bit on both, pepper.

I see you have some pretty good looking olive oil, there.

- [Sara] Yeah, I will pass that over.

- Alright.

That's gonna be the piece de resistance.

What I like to do with the greens, also, is a little bit of that raw oil at the end, just to make sure they're good.

- I like a finishing oil.

- I like how it really gives it that great finishing flavor.

- [Sara] Time to eat?

- Bon appetito.

- I did get a bone.

I'm not gonna sue.

Oh my God, wow.

- Really moist.

- Wow.

- Really flavorful.

- I'm definitely gonna make this, and I hope you all do, too.

Did you see how easy that was.

Thank you.

- Really simple.

Greens are good, too.

(light guitar music) - I get all sorts of fun questions on my website, and I just love answering them, and I have a very special one today.

It's about tomatoes, and it's from Carly in Dallas, Texas, huh?

- Yep, down here in the Big D. I was just calling in 'cause, you know, I love putting cherry tomatoes on my salad, in pasta, but there's so many of them and they're so small, and it just takes so long to cut them.

- It's tedious.

- Such a hassle.

- Tedious, right?

So, okay, I have a cool trick.

- Definitely.

- Cool trick to show you.

I have to put on my glasses, 'cause this calls for precision.

Alright.

So, first you take two, you could use two plates.

We're using the lids from just, you know, takeout.

You know, you save those, recycle them, and they're very cool.

- Yeah.

- And they're somewhat flexible, so let me get these guys out of the way.

Then, what you do is you get your victims, your cherry tomatoes, and they could be ovals.

They could be any size, and you put them on, okay, there's the rim side and the flat side.

You put them on the flat side.

- [Carly] Okay.

- And you fill the whole thing up.

I just love this, because really, it can just so slow you down to cut them in half, but you want to, often.

Especially, like, I like to salt my tomatoes before I put them in a salad, because it brings out their flavor.

Okay, so you see the very difficult thing I already did.

- Yes.

- Okay, they're all ready to go.

We'll move that over there.

Then, you put the flat side of the other lid on top.

I'm gonna move it a little closer to me so I can get right down at eye level.

Alright, you take a serrated knife, and you get right down to the level of the tomatoes so you can see where you are going.

Okay, if you didn't get down there, you wouldn't slice them so evenly, and then, ta-da.

You see this?

- Oh, my gosh.

- Isn't that fantastic?

- [Carly] That's so much easier.

- This is the sort of stuff that keeps me up at night, you know?

- So fast.

- So I see more cherry tomatoes in your future.

What do you think?

- Definitely.

I'm definitely more likely to use them since it won't take me hours to cut them.

- I know, really.

Fun, huh?

Thank you for that cool question.

I love those kind of questions.

If you all wanna send me a question for my website, just go to SaraMoulton.com, and maybe we'll put you on ask Sara.

(upbeat romantic music) Philadelphia is an Italian town, and the hands-down king of Italian food in Philly is local boy Mark Vetri.

He's won every kind of award for his four local restaurants, Vetri, Amis, Osteria, and Alla Spina.

I met him in Philly's 100 year old Italian market for a cook's tour and shopping trip.

- Hey, Sara, how are ya?

- Good, how are you?

- Wonderful.

Welcome to Philadelphia.

- I love it here.

You got such great markets.

- Thank you, yeah.

Yeah, we do, definitely.

This is the first place that I'd ever shop in.

- Esposito's has been a mainstay here in the Italian market for a century.

Selling top shelf meats at really reasonable prices, it's a special place for Mark.

- My dad, you know, he used to work here.

- What?

- Years ago.

- Really.

- Yeah, years ago.

- That's so cool.

So, you're gonna get some meat for meatballs.

- Yep.

We're gonna need some meatball mix.

Very good, how are you?

- Good thanks.

- I need some veal, I need some pork and some beef.

- Oh, good.

You want the meatball mix.

- Exactly.

- Alright, how much do you need of each?

- I need about two pounds of each.

- Two pound each, no problem, and you want me to grind it once or twice?

- Do it twice, please.

- Two times, coming right up.

- Be great.

- So, where'd you get this recipe?

- I got this recipe from my father.

He always used to say to me three things.

He said always work for yourself, always have integrity, and always use veal, pork, and beef in your meatballs.

Lessons of life, lessons of life right there.

- Okay, yeah.

I will have to remember that one.

- Alright, here we go, guys.

- Alright.

- Enjoy.

Good luck.

- I will, so awesome.

Thank you so much.

Have a great day.

- [Sara] Alright, so we need some parsley.

- [Mark] We definitely need some parsley.

We'll just get a bunch.

- Okay, yeah.

That's nice.

Oops, yeah, I'm too short.

- I'll get that for you.

- Di Bruno Brothers is another Vetri favorite for cheese.

- Di Bruno's, love this store.

- Oh my God, this is like a fantasy store.

- [Sara] Emilio Magnucci is the third generation in the family business.

- How you doing?

- Long time, no see.

- Yeah.

- Hello.

- Emilio, Sara.

- Nice to meet you.

- Sara, it's a pleasure.

Welcome to Di Bruno Brothers.

- [Sara] What a beautiful store you have.

- [Emilio] Thank you very much.

- [Sara] Wow.

- [Emilio] It's been the same for over 70 years.

- Long time, man, long time.

- You're kidding.

- [Emilio] My grandparents started this business.

- I've been coming here since I was also this high.

- So you guys have known each other for years and years.

- Yeah, for quite a long time.

- Yeah.

- [Sara] So, how many kinds of parmigiano-reggiano do you carry?

- Well, we carry only two.

I say only two.

We carry our expert quality, which is aged for about 24 months, and then our other one is the Cravero parmigiano that's aged for 24 to 30 months.

The more the reggiano gets to age or mature, the better, and I don't wanna get geeky, but the proteins start to break down, and the fats, and then the flavor just develops a lot better.

And you see all these little spots?

- [Sara] Crystals.

- Crystals, well, people call them flavor crystals or crunchies, but it's really the proteins in the cheese that dry up as it's breaking down to develop and add more flavor to the cheese.

- How do you know you're getting the real McCoy?

- Okay, so in order to get the real McCoy, you need to be looking at the rind.

Now, you see this?

This is a good piece, right, in the rind, because here what you have is all the information you need to know about this cheese.

This number here, 2659, is the number of the farm that produces this cheese.

- [Sara] Wow.

- Also, on the other side, opposite of this, there's gonna be a stamp that has the date, the year, and the month that the cheese was made.

- [Sara] Well, we'll get three pounds of this, then.

- Definitely.

- [Emilio] Three pounds.

- Alright.

- So, we need some tomatoes.

- Yeah.

- What kind do you like?

- I always like the San Marzano.

- Okay, but they both say San Marzano.

How do we know which one we want?

- Well, because this one right here has a label on it.

You have the markings here for D.O.P., so that actually means that it's right from Italy, yeah.

- 'Cause it could be in the style of, and that's not the real deal.

- It's not the real deal, and they're gonna have a little bit more acid, and they're gonna have the right amount of flavor.

They're awesome.

- Alright, so we just need one can?

- Actually, let's get two cans.

- Okay, good.

(peaceful romantic music) Welcome back.

I'm so happy to be here with Mark Vetri, and we are making his dad's meatballs, right?

- Sal's old-school meatballs, yep.

- [Sara] So, he's not only a butcher, he's also a cook, huh?

- Yes, he is.

- Wow.

- Yes, he is.

He did a lot of stuff.

- [Sara] Well, we gotta start with that terrific meat we got.

- [Mark] That's one pound of veal, one pound of pork, and then one pound of beef.

Three pounds, one, one, and one.

- You want me to get the?

- Yeah, could you get the milk and also the eggs.

- Okay, great.

I got a measuring cup.

Oh, you're just gonna eyeball it.

- No, no, no, let me have the measuring cup over here.

- [Sara] Would your dad measure it?

- He would never, ever, ever measure it.

- No?

That just is no, we just don't do that.

One and a half, and three eggs, I think.

- Okay, here we go.

- It's good.

Now, for people at home, they need recipes.

- [Mark] You don't wanna put the eggs in yet.

- Oh, I don't?

Oh, dear.

- No, no, no.

You're gonna put the bread in first, just to soak it up.

- Ooh, okay.

Now, tell me about the bread.

What is it with the bread in the meat?

- Just adds a little bit of a texture to it.

- Texture.

Also, doesn't it help to keep them moist?

- Really moist.

- It sort of holds onto it.

- Really moist.

- We're just using plain old supermarket white bread, so why don't I grab the cheese we're gonna use.

- [Mark] Okay, two cups of Parmesan and one cup of pecorino, okay?

- Okay, and the eggs need to go in there too, right?

- [Mark] Yes.

- So, we're gonna add three eggs.

- I forget the recipe sometimes.

I know I shouldn't.

- Well, that's alright, 'cause you probably don't follow a recipe, either.

- No, I never look at a recipe.

- [Sara] You know, the home cooks need recipes.

- Just put these in here.

- Alrighty.

- So, now, a little bit of salt.

- Wow, that is an awful lot of meatball.

I've gotta chop up garlic for us here.

- Need some garlic.

- And we still need parsley, too, right?

- And we need some parsley, so why don't I actually work on that.

- Alright, I'm gonna do the garlic for the sauce.

I think we need one both for the sauce and for the meatballs, isn't that right?

- Yeah, we need some for the sauce as well.

- Okay.

- And I'll do some parsley.

About this much is good.

Alright, I think I got enough.

I already stuck salt in.

- [Sara] Okay.

- So I'm gonna put a little bit of black pepper in.

- Okay, I'm just gonna hose down from all that garlic.

- This is looking really good.

Okay, you always have to start really slow.

Otherwise, it's gonna fly all out of.

- It'll be over the top.

- There you go.

- [Sara] That is a lot of meat.

- It'll get eaten really fast.

- [Sara] You show me what size you want.

- I always like to just kinda hold it, you know?

- Alright, well, then I'm gonna hold it, too.

- Yeah, you don't have to.

- [Sara] Look at that.

- [Mark] It doesn't have to be exact.

- [Sara] You've done that a lot, haven't you?

- I have done it a couple times.

- Yeah, I think so.

- [Mark] No, you wanna get them really.

- Packed?

- Nice and packed.

- [Sara] Okay, so they don't fall apart.

- Yeah.

- Did your dad make Sunday meal?

- Sunday meals, he used to make a lot of.

- [Sara] And did you call it gravy or sauce?

- Gravy.

- Okay.

- Always gravy.

- You know, that is a big controversy.

Do you want me to make mine bigger, or we'll live with it?

- See, now they look alike.

Oh, no, look at it, so it doesn't matter.

- [Sara] Okay, this is rustic.

You know what?

Maybe you should keep shaping and I'll get them in the pan.

- [Mark] Okay, yeah.

- [Sara] Let's see if it's hot enough.

We've got our flour back here, so we're gonna flour these because?

- I just like it when they have a nice layer.

- Yeah.

- You know?

And if you stick a little bit of that on the outside, it just makes it a little bit thicker and a little bit nicer.

- [Sara] And so, what else did he put in his Sunday gravy?

- We used to put eggs in it, hard-boiled eggs.

- Eggs?

- Hard-boiled eggs.

- Into the gravy?

- Into the gravy.

- Oh my goodness.

- It was awesome, 'cause it was never like enough, you know, for everyone to have, so we used to look for it on there.

We used to say I want that one, I want that one.

- So you'd fight over the eggs?

- We would fight over the eggs, yeah.

Yeah, okay.

- I think that's enough.

I think we have enough meatballs.

- 'Cause we gotta make the sauce, too, right?

- [Mark] Yes.

- Which I think is a very intriguing sauce.

We're not putting these on pasta, right?

- No, I actually had something like this when I was in Rome, and I just loved it.

- So, it's a potato tomato.

- Exactly, so we decided, you know, to use it with the meatballs.

- [Sara] Now, should I brown them on the second side, or do you think I could?

- Yeah, no, you wanna brown them all over.

- All the sides.

- All the way around.

- And the reason.

- The longer they're in there, the better.

Look at that outside.

- [Sara] That's flavor.

- That's awesome, and that's going to actually hold it all in there.

I'm just gonna start off the onions real quick with the garlic.

(upbeat guitar music) - [Sara] I'm interested, you're using grape seed oil instead of olive oil.

- The grape seed oil has, you know, the really high.

- The smoke point.

- Exactly.

- So you can really get it hot.

- Yes, and then you can add in the olive oil afterwards.

- Oh, I see, to finish.

- Uh-huh.

- I'm gonna pop this in the oven.

- Yes.

- Just 'cause these guys are so big.

- [Mark] 'Cause they're looking good.

- [Sara] And we're just looking for them to be firm.

- Yeah, just firm in the middle.

- [Sara] Okay, okay.

(pan sizzling) You've got the garlic in there, too.

- The garlic's in there.

- So there's one onion, one clove of garlic.

- Then we're gonna need the San Marzanos.

They have a really awesome flavor.

- [Sara] Yeah, and we're adding, I think, like a can and a quarter.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- But for all of us who are like sort of snobs about fresh ingredients, this is one of those ingredients that, sometimes, is even better canned, you know.

- Exactly.

- [Sara] Especially out of season.

- Yeah, you're just not gonna be able to find them, ever, so you have to get them canned.

Let's let this just kind of warm up a little bit.

Now we're just gonna add these.

- Okay.

- And it looks like just nothing, really, but it's incredible.

- This is so weird.

I really wouldn't have thought about.

- I know, well, you're gonna love it.

- Oh, I am sure I'm gonna love it.

- I'm telling you.

- Potatoes, you know, for sauce?

Here's your salt.

I'm gonna let you add what you want.

Do you want pepper or no?

- A little bit of pepper would be great.

- Here, I'll do that.

You just say when.

- [Mark] Keep going, that's fine.

- [Sara] Okay.

- And then we're just gonna leave this alone.

- Alright.

So, how long does this simmer now?

- We're gonna probably leave this on for about 30 minutes or so.

- Oh, okay.

Alright, well, then you know what?

I have a great idea.

Let's go have a glass of wine in my lovely backyard.

- That's a great idea.

Let's do it.

- So, tell me about going to the market with your dad.

- Ah, we used to.

He lived, actually, you know, years ago, right around there, so I was there for most of my early life.

That's what life really revolved around was eating.

- Was meals.

- Meals.

It was always, that was always kind of the center, but it was nice, and I'd like to do that now, also.

It's like 30 minutes out of your life.

- Right.

- You know, just relax.

Sit down together and have a meal.

- Exactly.

- And it really will actually mean everything later.

- Yeah.

- They'll remember it for the rest of their lives.

- [Sara] Yes.

- Alright.

- Ooh, that looks yummy.

- [Mark] Look at those.

- So, you reduce it down that much, huh?

- [Mark] And then, afterwards, you wanna just kinda mash them up a little bit.

- Okay.

- Alright.

- [Sara] Yeah.

- Do you wanna do this for that?

- Yeah.

You're going to get the meatballs.

- I'll get the meatballs out, sure.

- [Sara] Oh, this is fun.

- Yeah.

- [Sara] Whoa, I like this.

- It's relaxing.

- It is, 'cause you know, people don't understand just how therapeutic cooking is.

- Absolutely, it is.

Look at those meatballs.

- [Sara] Oh, wow, look at them.

- Yeah, so what I like to do is just kinda layer it right in the middle.

- Should I put these on top?

- Right on top.

Oh, yeah.

- Oops, there we go.

- Crash landing, right.

- [Sara] Oh, these are gigantic, but boy, whoa.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- [Sara] So how many per person do you think?

- I mean.

- You, how many?

- [Mark] I mean, I'll eat at least three.

- [Sara] Really?

- [Mark] Oh, yeah, yeah.

- [Sara] And we grate some cheese on top, too, right?

- [Mark] Absolutely.

You'll have some cheese.

- This smells so good.

- It's good.

Look at that.

- I think I got a little bit on the plate, now, didn't I?

- [Mark] That's great.

- But bring that up here.

Let's have a bite.

- Let's switch this up.

- Yeah, yeah.

- There we go.

- Those three magic meats that are gonna make the perfect meatball.

Sal would call this the perfect meatball, right?

- That works.

- Yay, Sal.

- Yay, Sal.

- Let's toast Sal.

- Yeah, let's toast Sal.

- To Sal.

Should have brought him.

- I know.

- Whoo, to Sal.

Okay, whew.

- To Sal.

(light exotic music) - [Sara] Mark's father's meatballs were so good, a real heritage recipe anyone would be proud of.

He and Dave Pasternack took something they grew up with.

Mark is the son of a butcher.

Dave is a lifelong fisherman, and built a style of cooking around it.

Simple, hands on cooking with honest ingredients.

That's the core of Italian cuisine, and that's what makes Italian food so great.

Visit us online at SaraMoutlon.com/weeknightmeals, and on our YouTube channel.

Sara's Weeknight Meals is made possible by USA Rice, Sunsweet, Ninja, Chef's Choice, and thanks to the generous support of.

- [Announcer] The 2016 Subaru Legacy, with symmetrical all-wheel drive plus 36 MPG.

It pairs well with every kind of road.

Subaru, proud sponsor of Sara's Weeknight Meals.

(light piano music) (deep piano music) (tonal music)