I always think of the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp
When my husband and I were dating I made pasta one night and I suggested we try to Lady and the Tramp it (embarrassing, I know!). The problem was that I had made penne noodles and not spaghetti, it was planned, oh yeah and I accidentally bit his lip! There really wasn’t a lot of noodle for us to work with before the kiss and noodles and lips have a similar texture right? I recommend that you don’t try this at home but if you do, use a spaghetti noodle and don’t bite anyone. 🙂
I really like homemade spaghetti sauce. Like, I have equal portions of sauce to noodle. Take it up a few notches and throw on these tender and flavorful meatballs, put together a side salad and garlic bread, and we’ve got a truly beautiful and delicious meal! AND the husband loves it because there are gigantic balls of meat on top of his pasta (remember how Nick isn’t a huge pasta fan but LOVES meat?!).
My mom always says that things like spaghetti sauce and chili taste better the next day. Ya know what? She’s right! I’m not sure what exactly makes that so but I think it allows the flavors to sit and come together more, as well as get thicker. It’s still good the first day but now you know that leftovers are even BETTER! Yay for having a break from cooking! (While I love to cook, one can only spend so much time in the kitchen day after day. Plus, some days are just hectic.)
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
- 1/3 cup flour
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 15 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves, remove before serving
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, optional
For the Pasta
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles
- Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly grease with cooking spray. (If you don't have a wire rack the meatballs can be placed right on the foil.)
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- To the bread crumbs, add eggs, cheese, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and peppers. Stir and then mix in the ground beef with hands until evenly combined.
- Roll the meat mixture into 20 2-inch balls.
- Place the 1/3 cup flour in a small bowl and then roll the meatballs in the flour and place on wire rack.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
For the Sauce:
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onion and saute until tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, parsley, and oregano and cook for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to slightly thicken (use a splatter screen to reduce splattering). (Add baking powder if sauce tastes too acidic.)
- Gently add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover with lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F.
For the Pasta:
- When 15 minutes remain, cook pasta according to directions on package.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over pasta and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Source: Garnish & Glaze original recipe
I made just the sauce because I already like my meatball recipe but wanted to stop by and let you know the sauce was great! I did use the baking powder and it helped. I’ve actually never heard of doing that before but I did like it better once I added it. We did not place it in the oven, just poured our sauce over the noodles. What does that extra step add to the recipe?
I’ve actually never made my own pasta sauce before! This recipe looks pretty simple! I’ll have to give it a try!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Paige- You’ll have to try it for sure then! I use store bought sauce on pizza but for pasta homemade is the way to go!