Spaghetti & Meatballs
A homy, comforting Italian classic that everyone will love.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Italian Meatballs
- 16 ounces of ground beef
- 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 egg
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of yellow onion, grated
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
- a pinch of black pepper
- a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Classic Pomodoro Sauce
- two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of red wine or beef stock
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 8 large basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Assembly
- 10 ounces of dried spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon of salt (for the pasta water)
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Make the meatballs...
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine 16 ounces of ground beef with 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 egg, 3 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley, 1/4 cup of grated yellow onion, 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes
- Form 2 tablespoons of the mixture into golfball sized meatballs and place them onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet
- Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes or until they golden brown on the outside and are no longer pink inside
Make the pomodoro sauce...
- Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Once the skillet is warm, add 1 small finely diced yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are slightly translucent
- Add 4 finely minced garlic cloves and cook for 60 seconds, stirring constantly
- Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 1/2 cup of red wine or beef stock and stir to combine
- Add two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and bring to a low simmer
- Cover the skillet with a splatter guard or lid and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken
- Add 8 large basil leaves torn to small bits before adding the meatballs
Cook the pasta...
- While the meatballs are baking and the tomato sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 10 ounces of dried spaghetti
- Cook according to manufacturers instructions
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain, return to the empty pot you cooked it in (off of the heat) and add a few ladles of your tomato sauce
- Stir the pasta until all of the noodles are lightly coated in sauce and then cover the pot to keep the pasta warm for now
Assembly...
- Once the meatballs are finished, add them into the skillet with the remaining tomato sauce
- Spread the spaghetti over a large platter and top with meatballs and tomato sauce (alternately, you can divide the elements between four dinner plates)
- Garnish with finely shredded parmesan and fresh parsley