Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Best Italian meatball recipe

This Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is one of our favorites. If you want to know how to make meatballs that are absolutely delicious, follow this recipe: it is the best Italian meatball recipe I have ever made. It is loosely based on a recipe from Ada Boni's 1950 publication "The Talisman Italian Cook Book". The addition of bread adds lightness as well as making the mixture go a long way. This recipe makes about 48 small meatballs; you can, of course, make larger ones. Leftovers can be used for Albondigas Soup Recipe or for a Meatball Sub Recipe which is ideal if you are looking for gourmet picnic recipes.

The spaghetti sauce is very simple so as not to compromise the complex flavor of the meatballs.

If you are really pushed for time, you can omit Step 3: browning the meatballs. Personally, I prefer browning them as this gives flavor to the dish as well as helping to keep the meatballs together when they bake in the sauce.

Ingredients:

Homemade spaghetti sauce recipe

You will need a large casserole dish with a lid.

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 350° F / 180° C.
2. Start by removing the crusts from the bread. Soak the bread in ½ cup of water. Once the bread is saturated, squeeze the water out of the bread. Discard the water.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, chopped bacon, wet bread, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Using your hands, form balls, just bigger than a large walnut.
4. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a frying pan and bring it up to a sizzling heat. The oil should be hot enough that you can just pass your hand over the oil without burning it but it shouldn't be smoking (this is too high). Add about 8 meatballs to the pan at a time. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them with two long spoons. They shouldn't be cooked all the way through. All you want to do is brown the outside to give the dish flavor. Drain on absorbent paper.
5. To make the spaghetti sauce recipe: fry the onion until is has softened and started to take on a caramel color. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
6. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar and the wine or stock.
7. Tip the sauce into the casserole dish. Arrange the meatballs on the sauce. Don't be alarmed if you think that there is not enough sauce. Put the lid on and bake for ½ hour. Remove from the oven and turn the meatballs over. You will notice that the sauce is quite juicy: the meat will have released its juices. Cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the lid and check the sauce. If the sauce is thick enough, you are ready to serve. If not, replace the casserole dish in the oven without the lid and cook for a further 10 - 20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
8. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. The time will vary according to the brand and whether or not you have fresh or dried spaghetti. Make sure that you don't overcook it - it should be 'al dente'. Drain. Top the spaghetti with the meatballs.
9. Serve this spaghetti and meatballs recipe with a large green salad.
10. Optional: serve your spaghetti and meatballs recipe with chopped parsley.

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