Recipe courtesy of Mary Berg
Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1115
- Total Fat
- 47
- Saturated Fat
- 17
- Carbohydrates
- 124
- Dietary Fiber
- 11
- Sugar
- 18
- Protein
- 51
- Cholesterol
- 146
- Sodium
- 1343
- Total: 55 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
1 slice sandwich bread
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) milk
300 grams (11 ounces) lean ground beef
2 Italian sausages (100 grams/3.5 ounces each), casings removed
1 1/2 yellow onions, divided
3 garlic cloves, divided
1 egg
3/4 cup (75 grams) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil, divided
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 can (796 milliliters/27 ounces) crushed tomatoes
500 grams (about 1 pound) dry spaghetti
Directions
- Tear the bread into small pieces and combine with milk in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the ground beef and sausage meat to a large bowl. Grate 1/2 an onion on the large side of a box grater and add to the meat, along with 1 clove of finely minced garlic, the egg, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, 2 teaspoons of the oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir the bread and milk into a rough paste, add to the meat and gently mix everything together, being careful not to squeeze the mixture too much, leading to tough meatballs. Divide the mixture into 16 equal pieces and gently roll each in between your hands to form meatballs. If the mixture is sticking, lightly dampen your hands.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or a large high-sided pan over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs until golden brown on two sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the partially cooked meatballs to a plate, turn the heat down to medium and add in the remaining oil.
- Chop the remaining onion and add it to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Thinly slice the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add them to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds before stirring in the tomato paste followed by the crushed tomatoes.
- Add the meatballs back into the pan, cover and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer the sauce and meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through to 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of oregano and turn the heat down to low to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season well with salt. Boil the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente, then drain and serve topped with sauce, meatballs and extra grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.