Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Sure, we can be all fancy with our pasta and our sauces. But when someone is looking for pure comfort food you can never, ever go wrong with a classic spaghetti and meatballs dish. Twirl your pasta around your fork then stab one of these perfect juicy meatballs with that same fork, and you’ve got a meal that will fill you up with the kind of yumminess only a nonna can share, even if you’re not Italian.
We use jarred or canned sauces so the work put into the meatballs is not a big deal.
Serves 6-8 (approx 30 1 1/2″ meatballs)
Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs Recipe:
You’ll Need
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground turkey (or pork)
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 cup fresh spinach, very finely chopped
- ¾ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 jar (700 ml) or 2 cans (398 ml) low sodium tomato or pasta sauce
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 450g (½ pkg) dried spaghetti
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Prep and Cook
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet, add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and let cool
- In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, turkey, carrot, spinach, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper (use a fork or your hands to mix until combined)
- Stir in half of the cooked onions and garlic mixture (keeping the rest aside for the sauce).
- Using your (well washed) hands, form meat mixture into 1 1/2" balls and space equally on nonstick baking sheets
- Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through (break open a meatball to check)
- Use remaining cooked onion and garlic mixture and add to tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper
- Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while you cook the noodles in another pot
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente
- Drain, rinse, and top with sauce and meatballs
- Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese
