It may not be found very often in Italy but this classic Italian-American pasta dish is a true comfort food. Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Ingredients
- 2 (28-ounce) cans italian plum tomatoes, with their liquid
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, peeled & minced
- 1 large egg
- all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- salt & pepper, as needed
Directions
Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill fitted with the fine disc. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a 4 to 5‑quart pot over medium high heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, crushed red pepper and bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble the pork and beef into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, ⅓ cup grated cheese, the parsley, and garlic over the meat. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until blended. Pour over the meat mixture. Mix the ingredients with clean hands just until evenly blended. Don’t over-mix. Shape the meat mixture into 1‑½ inch balls.
Dredge the meatballs in the flour until lightly but evenly coated. Heat ¼ cup olive oil and the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Slip as many meatballs into the skillet as will fit without crowding. Fry, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat as the meatballs cook to prevent them from over-browning. Remove the meatballs, and repeat if necessary with the remaining meatballs.
Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until no trace of pink remains at the center of the meatballs, about 30 minutes.
Stir the spaghetti into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Spoon in about 2 cups of the tomato sauce, tossing well until the pasta is coated with sauce. Remove from the heat and toss in remaining 2/3 cup grated cheese. Check the seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the pasta in warm bowls or piled high on a large warm platter. Spoon a little more of the sauce over the pasta, and pass the remaining sauce separately. Pass the meatballs family-style in a bowl, or top the bowls or platter of spaghetti with them. Garnish with extra Parmesan if you like.
Greg, I’m loving the colors here. Golden glow, indeed.
Greg the sweet and savory pairing of flavors in this soup sounds amazing. I love all cauliflower so this would be a sure hit in my book — especially with all the butter 🙂
What a beautiful specimen! I have never stumbled across a golden cauliflower, but will definitely keep my eyes peeled. This soup is a wonderful way to use it.
Oh yum:)
You have access to the best produce, Greg. I never see ANYTHING like that here.
already saved to http://cookmarked.com just waiting to find one these sneaky orange guys.
I’ve made a similar soup before with curried butternut squash and apples — can’t wait to try your version!
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2010/11/28/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-with-apple-and-curry/
That’s funny — I always call yellow cauliflower (and the pointy romanesco kind) science fiction cauli. I love this recipe!
This sounds so delicious! I have not seen any orange cauliflowers around here, so I guess the traditional one will have to do… Great idea for combining the ingredients 🙂
OMG.…this soup sounds amazing! I love your photos-the picture of the orange cauliflower is so vibrant. 🙂
Every time I come to your blog I find something I want to make.. right then and there and this soup is no exception! I love pureed vegetable soups and I love cauliflower so this soup is a no brainer for me!!
Just made my version of Aloo Gobi last week and found out that my husband loves cauliflower (we’ve only been together 20 years!). Such a gorgeous color and the sprinkle of curried apples is a brilliant touch.
Love the apple part (may want to put it in the ingredient list).
done
A beautiful golden color in this soup, loving the apples here!
We all wish we were this radiant.
I love the combination. I can almost taste it together too. Lately my taste buds have been calling out ‘Cauliflower, Oh where out thou’…so I bought some.