The recipe calls for it; they say it brings out the sweetness in the meat.

Anyway, it tastes good!

I call it my Mediterranean spaghetti, it really is magical

but i've never thought to use it in my red sauce. i'll have to try it next time.

Nutmeg tends to get lost unless you've cooked the mushrooms with it.

Allspice in the not-meat balls makes them taste almost meaty. So do finely minced raisins.

I do add nutmeg to my homemade pasta.

On edit: I do not make my own sauce. There is an Italian market around the corner from my house. Their sauce is in fact the best I have tasted outside of Italy. They are all homemade, and frozen on site by the owner's grandma and the owner's daughter. You can't compete with 4 generations of experience.

was a little cinnamon. Not enough to taste, but enough to excite the tomatoes.

I've been adding it ever since.

are folks using the jarred or does anyone actually use the nut and a "thingy" (I can't think of the name of the "thingy"...food plane? plain? grater maybe?

I've never seen whole nutmegs for sale. I have a hand grinder but use it rarely. Works really well on whole pistachios, though.

I do use it in sauce if I'm using mushrooms. I also like it in cream sauces.