Spaghetti and Meatballs


Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs, what’s there not to love? Spaghetti and meatballs has to be one of the most fun dishes ever invented, at least from a kid’s perspective.

Mounds of spaghetti, fork twirling strands in a spoon, tasty meatballs, even the very serving of the spaghetti, trying to lift just the right amount from the bowl, these are some of my favorite memories from childhood.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

 

No, it is not an authentic Italian dish, but an American adaptation. Who cares? Certainly not I.

This particular spaghetti and meatballs recipe was given to us by Rick Mindermann, of our local Italian grocery store Corti Brothers. Rick is one of these walking encyclopedias of food knowledge, whose enthusiasm for all things food and cooking is infectious.

For the following recipe, we adapted it slightly from Rick’s original, added salt to the sauce, cooked the onions before adding the garlic, but it is essentially the same recipe.

We love it! My father even declared the other day that from here on out, this is how we are making meatballs.


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

Meatballs

  • 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

Spaghetti

  • 1 1/2 lbs dry 100% semolina spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or bucatini


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