Spaghetti With Meatballs and Garlic Bread

Submitted by Tuck Burnette

"These are good, richly flavored meatballs, baked in the oven, till pink, and then simmered in the sauce, you can make your own sauce, buy one, or cook the one given here. I have others on the site, but this is a good all-purpose one, and excellent on spaghetti, I think. You will not use all of the it."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 32
• Yields: 12 meatballs
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced fine
• 2 teaspoons creole seasoning
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine
• 1⁄2 cup chicken stock
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 28 ounces of whole tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• nutmeg, grated
• 1 pinch dry basil
• 1 pinch dry oregano
• 1 pinch dried rosemary
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 pinch dried dill
• 1 ounce parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1 fresh baguette, split in two
• 2 tablespoons milk
• chopped fresh parsley, to taste
• 1 lb ground beef, 90% lean
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• garlic powder, to taste
• grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb good spaghetti or 1 lb other pastas
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated, for saucing
• pasta water, if needed
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving
• chopped herbs, if desired

directions

1. Cook the sauce: Put the olive oil and sliced garlic into a heavy sauce pot or broad sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium-high.
2. Cook gently until the garlic becomes colored a light gold, then add the creole seasoning (do not omit this), and stir, once or twice.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, turn the heat down, and break up well with a metal whisk.
4. Add no salt, add pepper, if desired.
5. Put in the two (or three) tablespoons red wine, and reduce a little. Then add the broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, stirring every so often, and cook gently for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
6. Make the meatballs: Put the egg, egg yolk, salt, pepper, to taste, the nutmeg and all the herbs into the bowl of a food processor. Grate in the cheese. Purée. Set aside.
7. Remove the soft white crumb from both sides of the split baguette. Measure 1/2 cup of it, save the remainder for another purpose, or discard.
8. Put into a bowl with the milk, squeeze between the fingers until it is well broken up.
9. Add to the food processor with the wet ingredients, and pulse to well combine.
10. Empty the contents of this into a bowl with the crumbled meat. Work to a paste, adding some chopped fresh parsley.
11. Form into 12 meatballs, and place evenly on a foil lined, sprayed sheet pan.
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove, add to sauce, using a spatula to loosen balls, if necessary.
13. Keep oven on.
14. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil to cook pasta.
15. Combine olive oil and garlic powder to taste (1/2-1 teaspoon), brush on both sides of cut baguette.
16. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and chopped parsley if desired.
17. The bread needs to bake for 10 minutes, add it to the oven, on a sheet pan, to bake, when dropping the pasta.
18. Return the pan of sauce to the stove and bring to a gentle simmer, covered, simmer till done, but less than 10 minutes.
19. Drop the pasta into boiling salted water, cooking till al dente.
20. Retrieve the meatballs to a plate with tongs. Reserve a little of the pasta cooking water.
21. Drain the pasta, toss with the tablespoon of butter, if using, a handful or two of grated Parmesan cheese, and adding about 2 cups of the sauce. Thin lightly with cooking water if nessecary.
22. Cut the garlic toast into pieces. Place pasta on warm plates, topping each with three meatballs, and sprinkle each serving with more grated Parm.
23. Serve at once with garlic bread on the side, and if desired, any additional sauce.