Friday 12 September 2014

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have a confession.

I was totally writing this other post about how you should make this awesome burger sauce and barbecue some burgers before Winter started to Winter.

Then.  Winter.

Barbecue is OUT.

And comforting, delicious spaghetti and meatballs is IN.

So let's get started.

 
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat then add the onions and the garlic.

 
After the onions are softened and translucent, add the tomato sauce.

 
And the crushed tomatoes.  Give both the cans a quick rinse and add the water from the cans to pot too.

 
Add the parsley.

 
And the basil.

 
Salt.

 
And sugar.  Yep.  Sugar.  It's fairly common in traditional tomato sauces.  It just takes some of the tartness away from the tomatoes.  Don't worry - you'll never know it's there.

 
Let the sauce simmer over low heat.  Michelle recommends about two hours or so.  So you'll need to set aside a little time for the sauce to simmer.  And it'll need a stir every now and then.
 
When the sauce is getting into the last hour of simmering, get the meatballs ready.
 
Now - I did make a little mistake here.  I was only supposed to combine a little bit of the breadcrumbs and the milk - I accidentally threw in all of the breadcrumbs.  Oops.
 
Let just pretend I did this properly.  Combine some of the breadcrumbs with the milk and mix together.  Leave for about 10 minutes.
 
 
 
In a large bowl, combine the beef and the Romano cheese.

 
Add the garlic powder.

 
And the parsley.

 
The egg and the fresh garlic.
 
And the breadcrumb mixture (and the remaining breadcrumbs unless you were like me and messed up.)

 
Combine all together and divide into evenly sized meatballs (I used a cookie scoop).  Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
 
Add to the sauce and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more.
 
Serve on top of the pasta of your choice.  I used plain old un-exciting spaghetti.

 
I'm not even sure how to tell you how perfect this will be for your first Fall meal. 


It's hearty without being overly rich.  The meatballs are tender and flavorful.  The sauce is thick and sticks to the pasta (just the way I LIKE it!).

It sticks to your ribs and warms you up all the way through.  Serve with breadsticks or a piece of garlic bread.

So delicious.  And Fall-like.

Welcome to Fall. 

xoxo - Heather


Spaghetti & Meatballs

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
Water from rinsing extra sauce and puree from the inside of the cans
2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 teaspoons dried parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and 4 cloves garlic and cook until the onion is tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce (and the water from rinsing the cans), 2 1/2 teaspoons parsley, basil, salt, and sugar.
  3. Stir to combine, lower the heat to low and simmer.  The sauce comes together best if simmered for at least 2 hours.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Combine 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs with the milk and let soak for 10 minutes. 
  6. In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 clove garlic, milk and bread crumb mixture, remaining bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and garlic powder.
  7. Shape into equal sized balls.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then add to the sauce and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes more.  The meatballs can also be finished in the oven for a total cooking time of 40 - 45 minutes.
  9. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions and serve with the sauce & meatballs.
Source:  Brown Eyed Baker

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