Recipe - Spaghetti & Meatballs

This oh-so-yummy homemade spaghetti and meatballs recipe is actually courtesy of the one and only Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, one of my favorite cooking divas! This was the first time I had ever made this meal, but let me just tell you, it was SO delicious! Ree's recipes rarely disappoint in any way, shape or form and this recipe was definitely no exception! The meatballs were my favorite part about the meal, but the sauce was certainly super yummy as well and even better than all of that, Hudson even ate it too! AND he even made "Mmm, mmm, mmm" sounds while he was eating, that my friends is music to my ears and makes me SO happy since he often times does not want to eat what mama and daddy are eating and thus, we have to make something entirely separate for him and unfortunately, it usually isn't something I would prefer for him to be eating, but that's an entirely different story altogether so I will spare you the details at this particular juncture and won't go off on a tangent about that right now. ;)

In any case, this was my first stab at homemade meatballs and all-in-all, I think I did pretty darn good! I did use a cookie dough scoop to aid me in my meatball making, but I had to rush to put it all together so they weren't as uniformly shaped as I would have liked, eh', tasted mighty good though so I'll forgive the slightly ill shape this time around. So, I want to know, what's your favorite Italian recipe??? Drop me a line and let me know because mama loves her some Italian and I am now always looking for new things to cook and try out too!

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• ¾ pounds Ground Beef
• ¾ pounds Ground Pork
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ¾ cups Fine Bread Crumbs
• 2 whole Eggs
• ¾ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Splash Of Milk
• ½ cups Olive Oil

• Sauce:
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
• 1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
• ½ cups White Or Red Wine (optional) - I used white
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional) - did not use
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Preparation Instructions

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. 

Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. 

Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside. 

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and wine, if using. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. 

Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer. 

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

Serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.