Italian Meatballs originally published on Food and Fond Memories on April 11, 2011 by sandyaxelrod 5 Comments (Edit)
Italian Meatballs
Fabulous meatballs with spaghetti and amazing sauce
It is really hard to believe that I am not Italian because I love Italian food so much. In fact most people think I look Italian. So much so that when I was in Italy, eons ago, American tourists came up to my with their Berlitz dictionaries to ask me questions in Italian. Fact is I am of Russian descent, but I digress – I love everything Italian! So when I watched an episode of Throwdown a while back where Bobby Flay challenged Mike Maroni who’s known for his grandmother’s 100 year old meatball recipe I was glued to the TV and that night I made the winner’s meatballs. The results were spectacular. I had gotten away from meatballs because I couldn’t find a recipe that tasted authentic. Most just fell flat so I would make meat sauce with mushrooms instead. But these meatballs are the real deal. I would have to say that this is the best sauce and meatballs I have ever eaten!
Starting to look like dinner!
Adding fresh basil to the sauce
Good to the Last Saucy Drop!
Italian Meatballs
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Meatballs
olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs (I actually use panko)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup dried Italian seasoning blend
1/2 small Spanish onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Maroni Sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
12 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
Instructions
1. For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350F. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
3. Roll the meatballs loosely about the size of a large golf ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until soft and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Italian herb blend, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the meatballs and continue to cook for about 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the fresh basil.
5. To serve, divide the spaghetti among 4 plates and top with the meatballs and sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-55 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking/Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
