Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs

By debrcovey

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups torn pieces crustless white bread (1/2" pieces)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 5 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1" cubes
• 7 cups tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained
• Grated Parmingiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Details

Servings 5

Preparation

Step 1

In large saute/simmer pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. oil. Add onion and salt; cook 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Let cool. In bowl, combine bread and buttermilk. Add beef, onion mixture, parsley, thyme, 2 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; mix with hands until cohesive. Form into 10 meatballs. Stuff cheese cube into center of each one, reroll meatball.

In same pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs oil. Brown meatballs in 2 batches, 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Pour tomato sauce into pan; add meatballs. Simmer over medium heat, turning meatballs once, until cooked through, 20-30 minutes. Serve spaghetti in bowls; top with sauce and meatballs.