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–+ servings

Spaghetti with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Delicious, classic spaghetti & meatballs!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 people
Calories 698 kcal

Equipment

  • Immersion (stick) blender, optional

Ingredients
  

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole white onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • salt about 2 teaspoons
  • 3 oz red wine
  • 1 28 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes San Marzano preferred
  • 2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • .5 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1-2 tsp sugar as needed
  • 1/2 c Italian parsley chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter chopped into pieces
  • .5 c reserved pasta water as needed

Meatballs

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 16 oz ground beef 80/20
  • 16 oz Italian sausage hot or mild
  • salt to taste, about 1 tsp
  • pepper to taste, about 1 tsp
  • 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/2 c Italian parsley chopped
  • 1/4 c Canola oil

Spaghetti

  • 1 pot salted, boiling water
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb spaghetti dried
  • Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated

Instructions
 

Tomato Sauce

  • Saute onions and garlic in pot with some salt until soft and translucent.
  • Add red wine and bring to a boil.
  • Add both cans tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pepper and crushed red pepper.
  • Blend sauce with immersion blender (optional).
  • Simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least one hour. Add water if sauce gets too thick.
  • Taste, adjust seasoning and add water as necessary. If sauce is too acidic, add a teaspoon at a time of sugar to balance.
  • About 10 minutes before serving, add chopped parsley and butter to sauce
  • Add reserved pasta water (below) as needed for desired consistency.

Meatballs

  • Combine egg, garlic, beef, pork, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and Italian parsley in large mixing bowl, mix by hand until incorporated (do not overmix)
  • Rest covered for at least 30 minutes (can do longer, place in refrigerator as needed)
  • Preheat pan (cast iron recommended) on medium high heat. While pan is preheating, ortion into meatballs, approximately 1 inch in diameter, will net around 25 meatballs.
  • Add canola oil to pan. Working in batches as needed, saute meatballs on all sides until browned but not cooked through, transfer to tomato sauce to finish cooking.

Spaghetti

  • Bring large pot of salted water to a boil
  • Add spaghetti and olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until spaghetti is done, approximately 10-11 minutes.
  • Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water (1/2 cup or so).
  • Add spaghetti to plate, add some sauce and 3-4 meatballs, top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Nutrition

Calories: 698kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 35gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1485mgPotassium: 640mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 854IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 4mg
Keyword meatball, pasta, sauce, spaghetti, tomato
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