Spaghetti and Meatballs

By unabellarosa

Calabrian-style meatball is simmered in a butter-onion tomato sauce. A match made in heaven!

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 2 x 28 oz (800 g) pureed tomato sauce (or pomodoro passato)
• 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions (or 1 large), peeled and halved through the root
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar for acidity (if necessary)
• Meatballs:
• 1 cup (100 g) fresh white bread crumbs
• 8 tbsp milk
• 8 oz. (250 g) ground beef
• 8 oz. (250 g) ground pork
• 1 cup (100 g) grated parmesan (Grana Padano or Romano Pecorino also work well)
• 1/3 cup (15 g) finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 large egg
• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or very finely minced
• Pasta and Cheese:
• 1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (Grana Padano or Romano Pecorino can also be used)

Details

Adapted from fortheloveofitaliancooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Swirl about 3/4 cup (200 ml) water in the cans and add to sauce mixture. Simmer over medium heat while preparing the meatballs (about 20-30 minutes, depending on quick you are).
Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl, mixing well with your hands. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out all the meat mixture first, and then roll them out (you'll 20-24 pieces). Place them into the sauce, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, take out the meatballs and place them in a serving bowl or platter, and set aside. Taste the sauce, if it tastes acidic, then adjust with a bit of sugar.
After sauce is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook spaghetti according to package instructions, and drain. Add pasta to sauce in pot and toss to coat. Divide pasta among 6 plates and top each serving with meatballs (about 4 each). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.