fine dining experience

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

Ingredients

  1. For the meatballs:
  2. 1/2 pound ground veal
  3. 1/2 pound ground pork
  4. 1 pound ground beef
  5. 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
  6. 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
  7. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  8. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  9. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  10. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  11. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  12. 1 extra-large egg, beaten
  13. Vegetable oil
  14. Olive oil
  15. For the sauce:
  16. 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  17. 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
  18. 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  19. 1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
  20. 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
  21. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  22. 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  23. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  24. For serving:
  25. 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
  26. Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

  1. Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
  2. Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
  3. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  4. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.