Spaghetti and Meatballs is kind of a cliche but when made from scratch is absolutely delicious. I used to think “why not just add Italian sausage to the sauce” and then I made them and found out why. The browning that takes place adds a whole new dimension to this Italian dish.
Combine the bread and milk in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle all of the pepper and salt on top. Chop the mixture until it is a rough paste.
Add the meat, eggs, garlic, parsley, and parmigiana and mix until just combined – if you overmix the meatballs will get tough. If you have time, place in the fridge for a couple hours to let the flavors blend.
You can start the marinara now – you can either use a store bought jar of marinara or you can make your own.
Make 2-inch meatballs and place on a dish (makes 20-25). Wet your hands with water or oil to make your meatballs easier.
Heat a skillet with some olive oil over medium-low heat (if you have a heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid, that would work best).
Once heated, place half the meatballs in the pan. Brown each meatball on all sides, this should take about 30 minutes. When the meatballs are done place them on a plate.
After all of the meatballs are browned, deglaze the pan with some wine or water and add this to the marinara sauce.
Alternatively, you can bake your meatballs in the oven – bake them on a wire rack on a tray at 425 degrees for 20 minutes and then finish with your broiler. Add any drippings on the pan to your sauce.
Place the meatballs back into the skillet and add the marinara – or add the meatballs to the pot you made the sauce in. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
While the meatballs are simmering, start the spaghetti in a large stockpot of salted water.
Serve up the cooked spaghetti, with 3-4 meatballs on top, some additional marinara and some parmagiana served over the top.
