Spaghetti with Meatballs

The sauce recipe is from the internet. The meatballs recipe is one I found on Food Network. Sometimes I go easy and use sauce from a jar. Just make sure you cook the sauce and meatballs together for a little bit as the meatballs will soak up some of the flavor of the sauce.

For making meatballs, some people use a combination of beef and pork or veal. I like to use ground chuck (85% lean + 15% fat) for meatballs, but for some it is a bit fatty. Using ground turkey can be just as yummy and way less fat.


Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Meatballs:
Cooking spray
1 pound ground chuck or ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano, plus more for serving
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.

In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the ground beef with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into large golf ball sized balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While cooking, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. In a serving bowl, add desired amount of pasta and a small scoop of the sauce, toss slightly. Then add 4 meatballs and another scoop of sauce. Garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.