Description
When it comes to classic Italian comfort food, nothing beats garlicky meatballs baked and simmered in savory red sauce, served over perfectly cooked spaghetti.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups simple marinara (or store-bought)
- 1 slice stale white bread (or 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 pound ground beef (preferably 80% lean/20% fat)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the marinara in a large, wide stew pot over medium heat. Allow it to come to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and then cover with a lid.
- If you’re using sliced bread, place it in the food processor and pulse until fine breadcrumbs form.
- Add the breadcrumbs, milk, ground beef, egg, onions, garlic, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, 4 tablespoons of the parsley, and the salt and pepper to a large bowl. Gently fold the mixture together, making sure not to overwork the meat.
- Using about 2 tablespoons as your size guideline, form the mixture into equally-sized meatballs. You’ll end up with approximately 20-24 of them.
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until the meatballs are lightly golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling water according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.
- Add the meatballs to the marinara and cover the pot. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Divide the spaghetti, meatballs, and marinara among plates. Garnish with the remaining parsley and parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stovetop/Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian, meatball, spaghetti, pasta, marinara