Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground veal
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
- 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 extra-large egg, beaten
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
- 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.
1 Video | Photo: Real Meatballs and Spaghetti Recipe


















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By meganguillaume_...
Yorktownv, VA
on February 04, 2012
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Absolutely delicious. I give this dish a ten! The meatballs are so tender and flavorful and the sauce is amazing. I make italian a lot and my husband said this is the best pasta dish I've made yet!
By queenyb
Austin, TX
on February 02, 2012
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i followed exactly what the receipt said, the sauce is delicious, but the meatball didn't work for me. i will use the receipt for the sauce to go with the pasta when making parmesan chicken.
By Terrysp
on January 29, 2012
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I have a number of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and use them all the time. The meatball's and sauce are the best, have made them four times already. I have not had better and I owned a fine dinning Italian restaurant at one time. The recipe is so good my Jack Russell at the recipe, (the paper copy, and I was afraid I could not find it again. Thanks goodness I found it ...made to copies this time.
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