Spaghetti with Meatballs
A recipe for Spaghetti with Meatballs inspired by the movie "Lady and the Tramp"!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef, 95% lean/5% fat
- 1 white bread, crust removed, soaked in milk
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 extra large egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 to matoes, Roma
- 1 large can crushed tomatoes, 28oz
- 1 bouquet garni, I used bay leaf, 2 springs of thyme, parsley and green onion
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Olive oil
For serving
- 1 package of spaghetti, cooked
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix lightly with your hands.
- Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. (If the mixture is too soft, add a tablespoon of All Purpose flour).
- Form the meatballs to the desired size. (Mine were big, so I ended up having 14 of them).
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat some olive oil and brown the meatballs, 5 at a time, on all sides. Reserve.
- Discard the oil from the pot but don't clean it!
- In that same pot, heat some new olive oil (2 to 3 tbsp) and sauté the garlic for 2 minutes.
- Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, the bouquet garni, the sugar, the salt and the pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs and cook for 20 more minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Remove the bouquet garni and adjust seasoning.
- Serve the meatballs over spaghetti with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.