Spaghetti and Drop Meatballs with Tomato

….This fast version of spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce is ready in less than 50 minutes. I learned this meatball recipe 20 years ago. The meatballs always come out tender, deliciously flavorful, never dry and they are always sure to impress my family. This recipe is chosen when I’m busy, and my daughter ANNE taught me this dish. I used only fire roasted crushed tomatoes as tomato sauce with bay leaves. This makes a light meal on its own, and is the most delicious. But you can add some salad or crusty bread, if you need something more substantial. It’s better to cook the meatballs in the sauce directly than pre-frying the meatballs separately from the tomato sauce. It’s easy to make so if you do it once you’ll probably be able to make it again.

Servings: 3–4

Times: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 1lb dried spaghetti
2. 1 Ts sea salt
3. Parmesan cheese to taste
4. chives for garnish(or parsley)

For Meatball:

1. 2 cup ground beef
2. 1 cup ground pork
3. 1.5 cup onion, minced
4. 1/4 cup garlic, minced
5. 1/4 ts thyme powder
6. 1 ts salt
7. 1 cup bread crumbs(panko)
8. 2 eggs
9. 1/4 cup heavy cream
10. 1/16 ts black pepper
11. 2 Ts olive oil

For tomato sauce:

1. 6 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes, crushed
2. 3 bay leaves
3. sea salt to taste
4. black pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix the onion, garlic, thyme powder, salt, panko, eggs, heavy cream, and black pepper into a bowl well. Add the ground beef and ground pork into the bowl to mix well evenly.

2. Knead it between your palms to make meatballs onto a tray.

3. Heat a skillet with medium heat and add the avocado oil. Drop rounds of the meatball mixture into the skillet without touching one another if you can help it. Adjust the heat so the meatballs sizzle but don’t burn and cook undisturbed until they’re lightly browned on the bottom for 6–8 minutes.

4. When the meatballs are browned on the bottom. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, black pepper, and a pinch of sea salt into the skillet.

5. Heat down the skillet to medium low heat for the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the meat cooks through for 10–15 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and let the sauce bubble vigorously to thicken for another 5–10 minutes. Stir only as needed and carefully if you do. Turn off the heat and set aside.

7. Heat up a pot with high heat and add water to boil it. Add 1 Ts sea salt and dried pasta for 7–8 minutes(cook it al dente). Sift the pasta noodles and reserve some cooking water.

8. Heat a pan with medium low heat and pour 1 cup tomato sauce into the pan without meatballs.

9. Add the boiled spaghetti and reserved cooking water into the pan. Toss the spaghetti to make it saucier if you like.

10. Serve it with 2–3 meatballs. Sprinkle some parmesan and chives over the top.

You can also view this recipe on instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPBNKldsF-s/