Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs We’re revealing all of our secrets for making exceptionally tender and flavorful meatballs, and these “WOW”-inducing Meatballs in homemade marinara sauce are delicious, juicy, and HUGE.Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe:

Bread—yes, bread—is the key to extremely delicate meatballs. And the combination of meats—I’m referring to lean ground beef and sweet Italian sausage—is the key to creating incredibly tasty meatballs.Spaghetti and Meatballs

To complete them, stew them in the really delicious and simple homemade marinara sauce. I’ve tried a lot of spaghetti meatball recipes, but these are the best.Spaghetti and Meatballs

Purchased meatballs cannot touch these (in a manner reminiscent to MC Hammer) – Why I keep bringing up Mr. Hammer is beyond me. I believe I grew up in Seattle in the 1990s.

Ingredients for Meatballs

• Although white bread is ideal, whole wheat or other soft-sliced bread can also be used.Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Make use of lean ground beef with a fat level of 7% to 15%.
• Use sausages and take out the casings if you can’t get Italian sausage meat alone.Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Use prepackaged parmesan that has been finely shredded or freshly grated.
• Add plenty of garlic to the sauce and meatballs.Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients for Marinara Sauce

• Although it looks like a lot of chopped yellow onion, it actually shrinks quite a bit.
• If you like, you can skip the fresh basil if you use “Crushed tomatoes with basil.”
• Although they are wonderful, bay leaves are optional if you don’t have any on hand.Spaghetti and Meatballs

How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs

1. Add 2/3 cup water to the chopped crustless bread pieces, let sit for 5 minutes, and then mash with a fork.
2. Add 1 pound of ground beef, 1 pound of sausage, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg, and the mashed wet bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer for this). Stir until thoroughly blended.Spaghetti and Meatballs
3. Shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, or around the size of an ice cream scoop. Roll or dredge meatballs in flour. Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or a big, heavy, deep pan over medium heat. To avoid crowding the skillet, add the meatballs in stages. Sauté them for 6 minutes total, or 2 minutes on each side, until they are browned on both sides. Don’t worry about the meatballs cooking through at this stage; just move them to a different dish and set them aside.

How to Make Marinara Sauce

1. Add extra oil if necessary and cook 1 cup chopped onion in the same skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it is soft and golden (5 minutes). Stir for one minute after adding four minced garlic cloves.Spaghetti and Meatballs
2. Add two bay leaves and two cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to ensure it’s hot and bubbling and not just causing bubbles to form on the surface.
3.  Return the meatballs to the pan with the tomato sauce, cover them slightly, and boil them gently for 30 minutes, tossing them every so often. The sauce will thicken and the meatballs will be tender. Add chopped fresh basil and season with salt and pepper five minutes before the sauce is done.

Finishing Details

1. If your family prefers pasta soft, cook it as directed on the package until it’s al dente . To be honest, I adore spaghetti that is just a little bit too done. After draining, put the pasta back in the empty pot.
2. After adding the meatballs and sauce to the spaghetti, gently toss to mix. Transfer to a large dish to serve family-style, top with fresh basil leaves and additional parmesan cheese if preferred, and serve hot.

Ingredients

• 3 slices white bread, (crusts removed), diced or torn to pieces
• 3 Tbsp Light olive oil to saute, or use vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, to dredge meatballs
• 1 lb lean ground beef, (7%-15% fat)
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb Sweet Ground Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Ingredients for Sauce

• 1 medium yellow onion, (1 cup chopped)
• 2 Tbsp basil, finely minced*
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt & pepper , to taste
• 56 oz crushed tomatoes, (from 2 – 28 oz cans)
• 2 bay leaves, optional

Instructions

1. Add the bread pieces and 2/3 cup water, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then mash it with a fork.
2. Add 1 pound of ground beef, 1 pound of sausage, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg, and mashed bread crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Shape into 1 1/2″ meatballs, which are roughly the size of a flat scoop of meat for ice cream. Dust off extra flour after dredging or rolling the meatballs in it. Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or a big, heavy, deep pan over medium heat. Without packing the pan, add the meatballs in two batches. Sauté them for about 6 minutes, or 2 minutes on each side, until they are browned all over. Set aside the meatballs after removing them (don’t bother about cooking through at this point).

How to Make Easy Marinara Sauce

1. Add extra oil if necessary and cook 1 cup chopped onion in the same skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it is soft and golden (5 minutes). Add four minced garlic cloves and stir for one to two minutes until aromatic.
2. Add two bay leaves and two cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to ensure that bubbles are rising to the top and that the mixture is indeed boiling.
3. Return the meatballs to the pan with the tomato sauce, cover it partially with a lid or a splatter screen to prevent splatter, and cook for 30 minutes on a low simmer, flipping them every so often. The sauce will thicken and the meatballs will be tender. Add chopped fresh basil and season five minutes before the sauce is done to taste, add salt and pepper.

How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs

1. Drain the pasta and put it back in the empty pot after cooking it as directed on the package until it is al dente, or to your preferred doneness.
2. After adding the meatballs and sauce to the spaghetti, gently toss to mix. Transfer to a big dish, top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, and serve hot for a family-style meal.