½-1cupbroth of choice (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
cooking oil
salt (I do not add black pepper but you are welcome to)
Meatballs
2tablespooncelery leaves, finely chopped
1smallonion, grated (white or yellow)
2clovesgarlic, grated/minced
¼cupfresh parmigiano reggiano or parmesan, grated (I like to add a little extra sometimes)
¼cupfresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1largeegg
1lbground beef, 80/20 (see substitutions below)
¼cupground pork (optional)
1tablespoonolive oil
1tablespoonbutter (salted or unsalted)
2slices of sliced white bread, crust removed (see substitutions below)
black pepper
salt
cooking oil
Pasta
12ozdried spaghetti (or equivalent fresh pasta), packages come in 16oz usually but I recommend using only 12oz of spaghetti
Instructions
Pasta
Boil a large pot of water to cook the pasta adding only salt to the water.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packaged directions. I prefer to keep the spaghetti a bit al dente since it will be resting for a while until it gets mixed with the sauce and meatballs.
Marinara Sauce
Heat some cooking oil in a pan on medium heat (try not to get the oil too hot). Add the garlic and herbs to the oil and cook until fragrant but not browned.
Add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are translucent on low heat.
Gently pour in the canned crushed tomatoes and mix well.
Pour the broth into the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
In the mean time you can cook the meatballs.
Meatballs
Start by grating the onion and place it in a small bowl.
Take the sliced bread and combine it with the grated onion. The bread will dissolve and mix into the juices of the onion. Set this aside.
Combine all of the other meatball ingredients in a bowl (except the cooking oil).
Mix in the onion+bread mixture and combine it all well.
Make small/golf ball sized meatballs (you can make them larger if you prefer) and lay them on a plate. Set them aside and continue to make the marinara sauce if you haven't already.
Heat a pan on medium/high heat with some cooking oil.
Cook the meatballs until all sides have fully browned.
As they finish cooking place them on a plate and set them aside until all meatballs are cooked.
Discard the oil/juices from the pan. I do not like to use these juices, but you are more than welcome to pour it into the marinara sauce with the meatballs.
Add the meatballs, which have been placed on a plate, to the hot marinara sauce. Coat them evenly with the sauce so they are covered with marinara. This is a key step for tender meatballs.
Let the meatball marinara simmer on low heat for about 25-30 minutes (the sauce will thicken).
Turn off the heat.
Mix the spaghetti with the meatball marinara.
Top with extra virgin olive oil and mix again.
Serve hot with additional parmesan cheese and red chili flakes.
Enjoy!
Notes
The herbs are needed in this recipe. I do not recommend making this dish without them.Beef Meatball Substitutions
Turkey Meatballs- Combine 1 pound of ground turkey with 2 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch of baking soda. The additional fats may seem like a lot, but I have tried to substitute less in the past and it has not came out the same in texture. So please do not compromise on the fat content if you prefer soft and tender meatballs. Continue with the recipe as listed.
Vegetarian Meatballs- Purchase vegetarian meatballs from your local grocery store and continue with the marinara sauce recipe listed. Add 1 extra cup of broth and simmer for an additional 10 minutes on low to help the fluids absorb into the meatballs.
Pork- If you want even better tasting meatballs, then substitute ¼ of the ground beef with ground pork. The additional fat adds a great deal of flavor to the recipe.