Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Spaghetti and meatballs is an all time favorite in our house. An American classic that both my husband and I grew up eating and recall being one of our favorite meals from childhood. What’s not to love? Savory meatballs drenched in a sweet tomato sauce over a big bowl of noodles to twirl around your fork. No wonder its a favorite of so many kids- not only does it taste good but it’s so much fun to eat! Admittedly a little more effort to make than a lot of dinners, I’m always happy to do so. Not only is it one of the few meals the whole family (kids included) will eat willingly, I usually make a double batch of meatballs and put them in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal for the near future. Reheating meatballs is one of the few meals my husband knows how to cook. He he.

spaghetti-meatballs-homemade-one-pot

I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork for these classic meatballs. I have used all beef but I like the mix of the two meats- it makes the meatballs a little more tender and I like the flavor that the ground pork brings. Do what you like though. It is a free country after all and they’ll be delicious either way! It doesn’t take any time at all to make a quick marinara sauce to go with the meatballs but if you’re short on time a good quality jarred marinara will work just fine. It can be our little secret.

Served with a fresh green salad and some garlic bread, dinner is served!

Enjoy.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Description

Classic spaghetti and meatballs made from ground beef and ground pork. The sauce that goes with is simple and fresh and this is perfect make ahead meal for those busy weeknights!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

  • 2 slices soft white sandwich bread (crusts discarded),torn into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • olive oil for pan frying (about a cup total)

For the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • a pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 of small yellow or white onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  1. Combine the bread and buttermilk in a small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, ground pork, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper and bread mixture. Mix just until combined. Try not to over mix as it can cause meatballs to be tough.
  3. Form mixture into roughly 1-inch round meatballs.
  4. In a large saute pan, over medium-hight, heat just enough olive oil to come up 1/4-inch side of pan. Add meatballs in a single layer and fry, turning often, until nicely browned on each side.
  5. Remove meatballs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the oil and repeat until all meatballs are cooked.

For the sauce:

  1. Drain off the oil from the meatballs leaving all the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
  2. On medium heat, add olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, minced onion and minced garlic.
  3. Saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes and beef stock, stirring to break up the delicious brown pieces from bottom of pan.
  5. Simmer about 5 minutes.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and stir in fresh basil.
  7. Return meatballs to pan and simmer about 15 minutes.
  8. Serve over hot spaghetti with meatballs.