Spaghetti and Meatballs- in Homemade Marinara Sauce- true classic Italian- American dish.
It is a classic comfort food that nearly everyone enjoys. This dish consisting of spaghetti, tomato sauce and meatballs. And let me tell you something is not your average sauce and meat balls. The marinara sauce is being simmer for a hours and it is so flavorful, and the meat balls are so juicy and tender.
Lets talk about Marinara sauce.
This easy homemade Marinara Sauce is made with only few ingredients that you already have in your fridge and pantry. You can make it with fresh or can tomatoes and still keep the amazing flavor.
This super easy marinara sauce is healthier and more delicious then any jar sauce you will find in the store. Also it is so versatile. I can use it for my Pizza, for my other Italian dishes such as Shrimp Fra Diavolo -Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce or for base for soups. You can use it in so many ways.
There is so much to love about this Italian recipe, it brings tradition and memories from generations in your home, just with a few simple ingredients and a touch of love. Back in the days in a typical Italian family making a marinara sauce was a day full of chores and a few generations of Italians canning this amazing fruit. To preserve all the tomatoes that they’ve been harvest and a whole day to spend with the big Italian family.
It always adds a little extra flavor to make the sauce from scratch, and it also adds a special touch to your dish. It’s impossible to compare store-bought products to a homemade one. This sauce is super easy to make. And its easy to store for later use. It is freezer friendly, you just need a tight lid container to store the Marinara Sauce in your freezer.
Many of you will ask how to make a juicy and tender meatballs.
The secret everyone says is in the bread. Well that is true, but mine recipe doesnt have bread in it. My secrets for juicy and tender spaghetti and meatballs is to use fatty meat such as ground pork. The pork have more flavor and more fat, so ultimately you will have a supple meatballs with so much flavor. Another factor for juicy and succulent meatballs is not to overwork the ground meat. You can use a mixer, but I honestly thing the best way is to use your hand.
Meatballs are such a great and versatile dish to make. They go on almost everything- salads, sandwiches, soups and are freezer friendly I like to make extra and freeze it for later and makes my busy weeknights easier.
Use a lot of fresh garlic for the home made Marinara sauce and for the meatballs. Use freshly grated parmesan or finely shredded pre-packaged one it makes a such a difference to the dish.
Can you freeze spaghetti and meatballs?
Yes, you can freeze spaghetti and meatballs for up to 6 months. All parts of this dish freeze quite well. The process is simple; you just need quality storage containers to keep your food well protected in the freezer.
Spaghetti and Meatballs in Homemade Marinara Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil
- 1 tbsp. oregano - dried or fresh
- 1 medium onion - finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 slices white bread - day old if possible
- 1/2 cup milk
For the Home Made Marinara Sauce
- 56 oz. San Marzano tomatoes - 2- 28 oz. cans.
- 1 large yellow onion - chopped
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 tsp. salt - or to taste
- 1 tsp. black pepper - or to taste
- 8 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery - chopped
- 5 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. oregano
- 1 tbsp. thyme - dried
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil
- 1/3 cup red wine - dry Cabernet or Merlot
Instructions
Start with preparing the Marinara Sauce
- In a Dutch Oven heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil.Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and sauté for a few minutes. Add the minced cloves of garlic and leave to sauté for about a minute or two on low temperature. Add the tomato paste and stir so it doesn’t burn then add the red wine and deglaze. Let the wine cook on high temperature for a minute or until most of the alcohol evaporates.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, and then add the seasoning, some of the fresh chopped parsley and basil. Leave to simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat or until the sauce is reduced in half and thickened. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning to your likings. After the sauce is done add a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Season with freshly chopped parsley and basil.
- Let it cool down and blend in a blender if necessary on batches or with emergency blender.
Start making the Meatballs while your Marinara Sauce is cooking.
- Break the bread slices into pieces and place in a medium size bowl. Pour the milk over them and let the bread soak for about 10 minutes.
- In other large bowl add all the ingredients for the meatballs. Add the soaked bread and mix well using your hands. If you don't want to do it that way you can use or stand mixer ( I like to use my KitchenAid Mixer),Do not Over Mix. You will end up with tough meatballs. Shape the meatball mixture into balls around the size of a golf ball.
- Heat a deep, large, heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat with about 3 Tbsp. oil. Add meatballs in batches so you don’t crowd the pan and sauté until browned on all sides. Turn them often so they hold their shape. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- While the sauce is simmering cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
- If your sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water to thin it out a bit until desired consistency is achieved. Add the meatballs to the remaining sauce in the skillet and toss. Drain pasta and return to the empty pot.
- Pour sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and toss gently to combine. To serve family-style, transfer to a large platter, garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired and serve hot.