You Just Can’t Go Wrong…Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Hi Everyone! If you missed Katie’s blog on Wednesday, Should I Bank my Baby’s Cord Blood and Tissue?, it was very informative. We made our decision to bank our son Luke’s cord blood based upon very limited opinions and research, but I am glad we did.  Katie’s blog would have been very helpful at the time when we made our decision. Lucky for Carrie, she gets to stroll in and reap all the benefits and advice after her older sisters experience these stages of life first.  Enjoy Carrie!

As much as I loved Katie’s blog, I’ve decided to lighten up the mood with some good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs.  I absolutely love this recipe. It always comes out great and I always get compliments.  This is definitely one of Rob’s faves!  I love to plan a dinner party where everyone expects a crazy menu, and then come out with spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.  It aways sets up for a fun and laid back atmosphere.  And who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs?! Here’s how it goes:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup seasoned dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

Sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped white onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lets make the meatballs!

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 1/4 of a cup of warm water in a bowl. Do not overwork the mixture as this will result in firm meatballs.  I use my hands but some chefs will recommend to combine with a fork gently as to make sure not to overwork the meat.

Form into even meatballs. I use my hands to make even meatballs but a great trick is to use an ice cream scoop to make sure they are all uniform in size.

Brown the meatballs in a fry pan in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat and set aside.

Now let’s make the sauce!

Add the onions into the oil and soften for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.

Now add the wine and allow 1/2 of the win to burn off.  When cooking with wine, always choose a quality wine that you would enjoy drinking.

Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.

Now add the yummy meatballs to the sauce!

Simmer the sauce and meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes.

Now the fun part….it’s time to plate.

Place the spaghetti down on your serving dish, and pile the tomato sauce and meatballs on top. Serve with garlic bread and lots of red wine!

Next time you host a dinner party, definitely try this recipe.  It’s so easy and comes out great every time. I sometimes make a smaller portion of meatballs and sauce and serve it with a side of ricotta cheese as an appetizer, which is fun.  But even if you’re not hosting, make these spaghetti and meatballs for your family. They will love you more for it! Happy cooking!