Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Sauce- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ chopped sweet yellow onion
- 3 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 cup very finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped crimini brown mushrooms
- 2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (get San Marzano brand if possible)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate in tube
- ¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
- Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 lb ground beef (at least 16% fat)
- ½ lb fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped crimini brown mushrooms
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Red wine
- 1 1/2 lbs dry 100% semolina spaghetti or thin spaghetti
Method
1 Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in 4-5 quart pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and mushrooms, blend together for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir together. Add basil and parsley, stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add tomato paste concentrate, stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meat balls, stirring occasionally.2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix by hand in a large bowl beef, Italian sausage, basil, parsley, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbed salt, and pepper until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoons to form 1-inch round meat balls. Roll and compress into tight balls.
3 Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Sear and brown meat balls on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. As meatballs are finishing, add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan.
4 Add ¼ cup red wine to the sauce. Then stir in ¼ cup cheese. Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5 While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 1 Tbsp of salt. When the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave the pot uncovered while you cook the pasta on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put a timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package directions say is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain.
To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with grated parmesan-romano cheese.
