I love this make this dinner when I am craving something comforting, homey and overall super simple. Garlic-laced meatballs swimming in my mom’s homemade red sauce are basically a throwback to growing up in the kitchen. So.much.goodness. Plus, it’s honestly my favorite thing to order out at Italian restaurants. You know a good Italian restaurant if they have a good meatball. It may seem like a simple recipe to make, but a well-crafted meatball with a delicious red sauce is everything! These beef meatballs are best served resting atop a mound of spaghetti and with a heaping ladle of marinara sauce. And you can’t forget to finish them off with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano. I love this recipe with ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey, veal, pork or a combination thereof. Overall, this is comfort food kept simple. So, loosen your belt and get ready to enjoy the best recipe for spaghetti and meatballs!
Pasta: 1lb. of spaghetti pasta, or your favorite pasta! Red sauce: I recommend making this with 2 jars of pasta sauce (~48 ounces). You want enough sauce to cover most of the meatballs so they simmer in the sauce and become nice and tender. Ground beef: 1 lb. You can also use ground turkey, ground chuck, ground chicken, ground veal or ground pork. Just keep in mind, the fattier the meat the more tender the meatball will be. Breadcrumbs: This is the binder so you don’t want to skip this part. Panko breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs is what I typically use. However if you don’t have those on hand you can use a slice of torn-up bread, or even crumbled saltine crackers. White onion: Very finely diced. Or grated on the large holes of a coarse grater. Other ingredients needed: Ketchup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley (or fresh), salt, Worcestershire, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish.
Panade is actually my hubby’s grandmother’s secret to a tender meatball. Panade is essentially bread soaked in liquid (milk) so it gets mushy. If you want to try this method: remove the crust from 1 or 2 slices of white bread (1 cup cubed) and cube it up. Soak it in about 3 Tbsp. milk until it gets mushy. Add this to the meat mixture and it will have the same binding power and also create a very tender meatball.
