Old-school tip: Why did our grandmothers stew the sauce and meatballs on the stove all afternoon? It does enrich the sauce when the meat stews in it all afternoon but the meatballs are always way more cooked than need be. I like to cook my meatballs the way I eat my hamburgers, medium-rare to medium. Also, why put the pasta in a bowl and then ladle the sauce over the top? Stirring the sauce and pasta together first allows the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce. So, if you can resist temptation, let the pasta sit in the sauce, heat off, for a few minutes before digging in.