Simple Recipes for Every Day
Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Serves: 12
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
- 3 (28 ounce) cans whole stewed tomatoes
- 2 (28 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 3 medium white onions, peeled, cut in half
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 5 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup finely, chopped Italian parsley, plus more for serving
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 pounds cooked spaghetti, for serving
Method
Add the whole tomatoes along with their juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them to a large pot, set over medium-high heat. Stir in the tomato sauce, butter and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes or until the onions are soft and butter has melted. Using tongs remove onions from the pot and discard them. See Note.
Meanwhile, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, sausage, parmesan, garlic, Italian parsley, eggs, bread crumbs, salt & pepper, with your hands. Mix well, then with wet hands, form meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons each), about 40-45 total. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce.
Return the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
Serve the meatballs and tomato sauce over the spaghetti topped with parmesan cheese and parsley.
Notes:
If you prefer a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce before adding the meatballs.