Mom & Nonna's Spaghetti & Meatballs
A cherished family recipe — tender homemade meatballs fried golden then simmered in a simple San Marzano marinara, served over spaghetti with plenty of parmigiano.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 1.5 cups parmesan cheese, grated
- 1.5 tsp beef bouillon
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for frying
- 2 (28 oz) cans D.O.P San Marzano whole tomatoes, blended
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced/minced
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 lb spaghetti
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients under "-for meatballs-" and roll into balls. Tip: wetting your hands will help roll them easily.
- Heat oil on medium heat and fry meatballs until golden on all sides (5 minutes total). NOTE: They do not need to be cooked through at this point as they will finish cooking in marinara sauce. Add sliced garlic.
- Blend 2 cans of San Marzano DOP tomatoes (yes, they need to be these for the best quality, authentic tasting sauce!) in a blender for 5 seconds until mostly pureed. NOTE: REAL San Marzano tomatoes ONLY come whole - so, if you're seeing crushed or pureed in a can claiming to be San Marzano, well, they're probably not!
- Add in pureed tomatoes, basil leaves and salt. Once bubbling, put heat on low/simmer. Allow to cook for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with spaghetti and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 1234kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 2939mg | Potassium: 925mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1147IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 453mg | Iron: 7mg