Tender & Juicy” Spaghetti and Meatballs
SERVES: 8-10
COMMENT:
Nothing is worse than sitting at the table ready to enjoy a plate of Spaghetti and Meatballs, and the meatballs are tough and dry. I actually had to travel to Italy to learn the secret of juicy, tender meatballs.
Meatballs
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground pork
6 eggs
1 cup minced onion
1 cup minced celery
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsps salt
2 tbsps pepper
.
MEATBALLS In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef and ground pork. Using
your hands (washed well), blend beef and pork thoroughly. Add eggs, onion,
celery, garlic, basil, breadcrumbs and cheese. Again, using your hands,
blend thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. I recommend frying a small
patty of the meat mixture in a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil to test
for seasoning. Correct if necessary. Roll the meatballs into the desired
size. I recommend meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Place the
rolled meatballs on a cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate. This will make
approximately 20 meatballs.
INGREDIENTS: SAUCE 4 35-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes with juice 1/2 cup
extra virgin olive oil 2 cups diced onions 1 cup diced celery 1/4 cup
minced garlic 1/4 cup chopped basil salt and pepper to taste
SAUCE Drain the Italian plum tomatoes through a sieve, retaining the juice.
Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces. Return tomatoes to the juice and set
aside. In a 3-gallon saucepot or large Magnalite pot, heat olive oil over
medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes or
until vegetables are wilted. Add tomatoes in juice and chopped basil. Bring
to a low boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add raw meatballs, dropping gently into the sauce. Return
sauce to a simmer. Do not stir for the first 10 minutes of simmering, or you
will break the meatballs. When stirring, use a wooden spoon and move the
meatballs gently through the sauce. Simmer for one hour, adding a little
water or chicken stock, if the sauce becomes too thick. Season the sauce to
taste using salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Place
cooked spaghetti in a large serving bowl and top with six to eight ounces of
the finished sauce. Toss well to coat spaghetti. Pour spaghetti in the
center of a large serving platter. Arrange meatballs on top of pasta, top
with additional sauce and Parmesan cheese.