Fancy Spaghetti and Meatballs

The rustic style of the sauce with the delicious meatballs makes this dish feel like you are in Baltimore’s LIttle Italy neighborhood. What? You’ve never been there? Make plans now.

As comfort foods go, spaghetti and meatballs is about as quintessential as you can get. Hearty meatballs in a sauce that has been cooking for most of the day provides a feeling of home and hearth. But me being me, what if I boost the sauce into something a little more daring to go with those wonderful meatballs?

SOFTWARE

For the meatballs

·         2 T. olive oil

·         1 lb. ground beef (90/10)

·         1/2 c. breadcrumbs, Italian style

·         1/4 c. whole milk

·         1/2 t. kosher salt

·         1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 t. onion powder

·         1 t. garlic powder

·         1 egg, beaten

For the sauce

·         2 T. olive oil

·         2 T. garlic, minced

·         28 oz. whole plum tomatoes, canned, Italian style

·         4 oz. black olives, sliced

·         1 t. crushed red pepper

·         1 t. oregano, dried

·         1 t. kosher salt or to taste

·         1 t. freshly ground black pepper or to taste

·         2 T. dried parsley

·         1 lb. spaghetti

·         Grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

1.       Starting with the meatballs, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle 1 T. olive oil on the foil. Set aside the other tablespoon of olive oil.

3.       Mix together all the other ingredients in a large bowl.

4.       Form the meatballs, making them about the size of a golf ball. Try to get 24 meatballs out of the mixture.

5.       Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil across the tops.

6.       Bake for about 20 minutes.

7.       While the meatballs are baking, let’s work on the sauce

8.       In a large, high-sided skillet, warm the olive oil over low heat.

9.       Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent browning.

10.   Increase the heat to medium. Add the tomatoes, olives, red pepper, oregano, salt, and pepper.

11.   Stir to break up the tomatoes as the sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust the heat to keep the sauce simmering, not boiling.

12.   Be sure to taste occasionally and adjust the seasonings.

13.   As the sauce is simmering, prepare the spaghetti to al dente according to package instructions.

14.   When the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and cook for about another 5 minutes.

15.   Plate the spaghetti and top with the sauce and meatballs. Add parmesan cheese if you like.

16.   Enjoy.

VARIANTS

If beef isn’t your thing, ground turkey or chicken would work just as well. You could pan fry the meatballs, but that does require more attention. Adjust any of the seasonings in the sauce that you see fit, but the red pepper flakes do add a bit of an edge to the dish that is slightly unexpected and delicious.