The Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti with oven-finished browned meatballs simmered in a tomato sauce built from pan drippings, onions, garlic, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes.
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Home Cook Basics- •3 lbs Ground beefabout 85% lean mentioned
- •1 lb Ground pork(optional)optional substitution for part of the beef for more tender meatballs
- •1 large Onionsplit: half for meatballs, half for sauce; finely diced for meatballs
- •1/4 cup Parmesan cheeseParmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
- •null null Breadcrumbsamount not stated
- •null null Granulated garlicfor meatballs; amount not stated
- •null null Italian seasoningused in meatballs and also added to sauce; amount not stated
- •null null Milkfor meatballs; amount not stated (add more if mixture is too dry)
- •2 null Eggsbinder for meatballs
- •null null Saltfor meatballs, sauce, and salting pasta water (kosher salt mentioned)
- •null null Black pepperfreshly cracked; for meatballs and sauce
- •1 slice White bread(optional)optional for lighter/softer meatballs; can be frozen and grated/chopped
- •null null Olive oilextra virgin; enough to cover bottom of pan (a little extra for meatballs)
- •null null Tomato pasteamount not stated; browned in pan
- •null null Garlicfor sauce; amount not stated
- •2 cans worth Waterused to deglaze and thin tomato paste; exact can size not stated
- •null null Tomato sauceamount not stated
- •1 big can Crushed tomatoesexact can size not stated
- •null null Sugar(optional)small amount to balance tomato acidity (cane sugar mentioned)
- •1 package Spaghetticooked in a 4-quart pot about half full of water
- 1
Finely dice the onion; reserve about half for the meatballs and half for the sauce.
- 2
Grate Parmesan (about 1/4 cup).
- 3
In a large bowl, combine ground beef (optionally some ground pork), diced onion, grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, milk, and 2 eggs. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- 4
Mix the meatball mixture thoroughly by hand until fully incorporated. Adjust with a little more milk if too dry or more breadcrumbs if too wet (optional: add a slice of bread for lighter meatballs).
- 5
Portion and roll meatballs (an ice cream scoop helps keep them uniform). Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate if possible to help them hold shape.
- 6
Heat a frying pan until hot, add extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom, and brown meatballs in batches without overcrowding. Brown on multiple sides, then transfer to a baking sheet.
- 7
Bake browned meatballs at 350°F until internal temperature is about 160°F (or lower if finishing in sauce).
- 8
For the sauce in the same pan, sauté the reserved diced onion in the remaining oil/drippings, scraping up browned bits. Add tomato paste and brown it carefully; add garlic and cook briefly.
- 9
Deglaze the pan with about two cans worth of water, scraping the bottom until the browned bits dissolve into the liquid.
- 10
Add remaining water, tomato sauce, and a big can of crushed tomatoes; stir and bring to a simmer.
- 11
Season the sauce with kosher salt, optionally a little sugar to balance acidity, freshly cracked black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Simmer (cover if needed to prevent excessive thickening).
- 12
Transfer sauce to a larger pot if needed, add baked meatballs, stir gently, and simmer about 20–30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
- 13
Cook spaghetti: bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, salt the water, add spaghetti (can break in half), stir to prevent sticking, and cook until al dente. Drain promptly (add a little oil if not serving immediately).
- 14
Serve spaghetti topped with sauce and meatballs; finish with freshly grated Parmesan.
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