Spaghetti tacos with deep-fried meatballs

Mince the basil, crush and roughly chop the garlic, mince the onion.

Heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan over medium-high until shimmering; saute the onion 3 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add the red pepper flake, oregano, garlic and tomato paste; saute about a minute until the garlic is fragrant.

Pulse the San Marzano tomatoes three to five times in a food processor and add to the pan with the basil.

Reduce to medium-low, partially cover and bring to a rolling simmer; then reduce to low and simmer about an hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

Mix the ground beef with egg, panko, garlic powder, milk and oregano; form into one-inch balls and roll half of them in panko.

Heat a quart of vegetable oil to about 350F and deep fry the meatballs 3 to 5 minutes until crisp and brown; drain on a wire rack.

In a large saute pan, combine the sauce, half a cup of pasta water and the slightly undercooked pasta; add the butter, kosher salt and olive oil and toss or stir vigorously to emulsify.

Fill a taco shell with the pasta, top with meatballs and grated Parmesan.

Variation: pile about two ounces of grated Parmesan in a preheated non-stick skillet and leave undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes until the edges turn golden; flip and cook another minute.

Variation: drape the Parmesan crisp over a small rolling pin or dowel to cool into a taco shape, then fill with pasta, breaded meatballs and grated Parmesan.