Spaghetti and meatballs is the quintessential Italian-American dinner, a tangle of perfectly cooked spaghetti tossed in a rich tomato sauce and crowned with tender, juicy meatballs. Though it's not a traditional Italian dish, it became an icon of American home cooking and Sunday family suppers. The meatballs, a juicy blend of beef and pork bound with a milk-soaked breadcrumb panade, are browned and then simmered in marinara so they soak up the sauce. Tossing the pasta directly in the sauce, rather than just ladling it on top, ensures every strand is coated. Finished with Parmesan and basil, it's pure, soul-warming comfort.
Serves 6
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until softened, then mix with the beef, pork, eggs, Parmesan, half the garlic, parsley, and salt, combining gently.
The milk-soaked breadcrumbs keep the meatballs tender.
Roll into 1.5-inch meatballs and brown them in olive oil on all sides; they finish cooking in the sauce.
Brown in batches so they sear rather than steam.
Sauté the remaining garlic in the same pan, then add the crushed tomatoes and oregano, scraping up the browned bits.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
Low, slow simmering melds the meatballs and sauce.
Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente, reserving a cup of pasta water.
Salt the water generously, it's your only chance to season the pasta.
Drain the spaghetti and toss it with a few ladles of the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to coat.
Tossing the pasta in sauce coats every strand.
Plate the spaghetti, top with meatballs and more sauce, and finish with Parmesan and fresh basil.
Soak breadcrumbs in milk for tender meatballs.
Brown the meatballs before simmering for flavor.
Cook the spaghetti al dente; it softens slightly in the sauce.
Toss the pasta in sauce rather than just topping it.
Reserve pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency.
Use a beef-pork-veal blend for classic meatballs.
Bake the meatballs for a lighter option.
Add red pepper flakes for a spicy arrabbiata twist.
Serve with a different pasta like rigatoni or bucatini.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze meatballs and sauce for 3 months; cook fresh pasta when serving leftovers.
Spaghetti and meatballs was created by Italian immigrants in early 20th-century America, where cheap meat and canned tomatoes were abundant. In Italy, meatballs are eaten separately from pasta, but the combined dish became a defining symbol of Italian-American cuisine.
Not traditionally, it's an Italian-American dish. In Italy, meatballs (polpette) are usually smaller and served as their own course, not on top of pasta. Italian immigrants in America, with access to inexpensive meat and canned tomatoes, combined large meatballs with spaghetti and abundant sauce, creating a dish that became iconic in the United States.
Use a panade of breadcrumbs soaked in milk, mix the meat gently without overworking it, and include some fattier ground pork along with the beef. Browning then gently simmering the meatballs in sauce, rather than boiling them hard, keeps them juicy. Avoid packing them too tightly when shaping, which makes them dense.
Yes, tossing the drained spaghetti directly in the sauce, rather than just spooning sauce on top, coats every strand and helps the flavors marry. Reserve a little starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce and help it cling. Plate the saucy spaghetti and arrange the meatballs on top for the classic presentation.
Per serving (480g / 16.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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