Spaghetti and Meatballs
Recipe and images from https://www.cookingclassy.com/meatball-recipe/
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cups (5.2 oz) fresh bread crumbs* (or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup whole milk, then more if needed
- 1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion**
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (optional)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano (optional)
- 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup olive oil, only if using the fried method
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl stir together bread crumbs and milk while adding more milk 1 Tbsp at a time to moisten bread fully. Let rest while you prep ingredients (or at least 5 minutes).
- To breadcrumb mixture add beef, eggs, onion, garlic, herbs (if using), parmesan and season over top of ingredients evenly with salt and pepper (I only use 3/4 tsp salt if I plan on using jar sauce to coat since it can be salty).
- Gently toss mixture and break meat up with fingertips until ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Shape mixture with greased hands into even size meatballs, about 1 1/4-inches each (or about 38g).
Oven Baked Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees before you begin preparing meatballs.
- Spray two dark coated non-stick pans well with non-stick cooking spray***, or brush with olive oil.
- Place formed meatballs on baking sheets, fitting about 20 per each and spacing evenly apart. Bake in upper and lower third of oven 10 minutes.
- Remove and turn meatballs if browned already on bottom (use a thin metal spatula to scrape from baking sheet). Transfer pans to opposite racks and bake until cooked through, about 8 - 12 minutes longer (should register 165 degrees in center of meatballs).
- Stir into warmed marinara sauce****. Simmer on low heat if desired for even more tender meatballs (about 10 - 20 minutes, toss occasionally gently).
Pan Fried Stovetop Method
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To pan fry meatballs pour 3/4 cup olive oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat over medium heat.
-
Cook meatballs in 3 batches (so they aren't overcrowded) until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 6 minutes. Then turn to opposite side and cook opposite side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
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Transfer meatballs to warmed marinara sauce (see note 5) in a large pot, submerge in sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat until meatballs are 165 degrees in center, gently tossing meatballs occasionally, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Notes
- *To make fresh bread crumbs tear slices of stale hearty bread into pieces and place in a food processor, pulse mixture to fine crumbs.
- **Be sure to chop yellow onion to a fine mince, about the size of the minced garlic otherwise it won't be tender by the time meatballs are done cooking.
- ***Standard light aluminum baking sheets will work too meatballs just won't brown as much.
- ****For this amount of meatballs you'll need 2 (24 oz) jars tomato basil sauce (such as Rao's) or 1 recipe marinara sauce. Then you'll also need about 16 - 20 oz. spaghetti, cooked to al dente according to package instructions.