Spaghetti and Meatballs
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence. Uses Pomodoro Sauce (its own recipe), or good jarred sauce. Don't overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.
Ingredients
- Olive oil, extra-virgin
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 2 clove Garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp Parsley, fresh leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Milk
- 4 slice White bread, thick, firm, crust removed
- 1 1/2 lb Ground beef
- 1 1/2 lb Ground pork
- 1 Egg, large
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 cup Pomodoro Sauce, heated
- 1/2 lb Mozzarella, cut into chunks
- 3 sprig Basil, fresh leaves
- 1 lb Spaghetti
Directions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and parsley until soft but translucent, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Pour enough milk over the bread to moisten and let it soak.
- Combine the meats, add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add it with the cooled onions. Combine gently until just mixed and shape into 10 meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a little more oil in the skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Put them in a baking dish, spoon about half the sauce over, shower with mozzarella and drizzle with oil. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 8 minutes. Toss on a platter with the rest of the sauce, top with the meatballs and basil and serve with extra cheese.