I've said it before, but I will say it again: my hubby is a very picky eater! One thing he loves is Italian food, in any and every form. His hands-down favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs. I found my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs one day when I was flipping through the television and happened to catch Tyler Florence making his Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs. I found the recipe online, modified it a bit to suit our tastes, and the rest is history. So for my hardworking hubby, here's his favorite meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce and Cheesy Garlic Bread on the side.
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce
Adapted from: Tyler Florence
Spaghetti and Meatballs:
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 cup milk
- 4 slices bread
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- spaghetti
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 3-28 ounce cans whole tomatoes or 3 quarts tomatoes, liquid reserved
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
In a large bowl, pour enough milk over your bread to moisten, and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft; about 10 minutes (careful not to let them burn). Remove pan from heat and let cool.
For the Pomodoro Sauce:
While the onion and garlic are cooking for the meatballs, heat 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 5 cloves of minced garlic; cook for about 5 minutes. Hand crush your tomatoes as you carefully add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and allow the sauce to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
For the Spaghetti and Meatballs:
While your onions and garlic are cooling, grab a large mixing bowl and add: ground turkey or beef, egg, parmesan cheese, and dried parsley (do not mix together yet). Grab your bread and gently squeeze the excess milk out of it, and then tear up and add to meat mixture. Add your cooled onions and garlic (hold onto your pan, you'll need it to cook your meatballs in), and gently combine all ingredients with your hands (be careful not to overwork). Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape into meatballs.
Heat approximately 3 tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet, and brown your meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes (don't be concerned if your meatballs are not completely cooked through; they'll finish cooking in the oven).
While your meatballs are cooking do the following: preheat the oven to 350, add dried basil and parsley to pomodoro sauce, and put a large pot of water on to boil for your spaghetti.
Place your meatballs in a glass baking dish, and spoon about half of your pomodoro sauce over them. Shower with a generous handful of mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
While your meatballs are cooking, reduce the heat on the remaining pomodoro sauce, and cook the spaghetti in boiling water until tender. This recipe could probably accommodate up to 1 pound of spaghetti, but cook the amount that you will need to feed your family in one meal. Drain spaghetti and set aside.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Adapted from: Cooks Country Cookbook
- 5 large garlic cloves, grated
- 8 tablespoons room-temperature butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon water
- 1 loaf French Bread, sliced in half horizontally
- 1-8 oz bag shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Mix cooked garlic with remaining butter and spread on cut sides of bread. Sandwich bread back together and wrap loaf in aluminum foil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Unwrap bread and place buttered side up on baking sheet. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.
Combine Italian seasoning with cheese, and sprinkle over bread. Broil until cheese is melted and crisp, 1-2 minutes (watch very carefully!).
Serve immediately and enjoy!
