Spaghetti and Meatballs

[SobaAddict70]

Ok, so lunch had several options today, including spaghetti and meatballs. I didn't take that option, but in retrospect, perhaps I should have....because now I have an INTENSE craving for spaghetti and meatballs.

So...without further adieu, I was wondering how you make yours, and what are your favorite:

1. Spaghetti or pasta? Fresh or dried?

2. Meatballs? Beef? Pork? Mix of both? Lightly seasoned? Heavily seasoned? with or without breadcrumbs?

3. The Sauce. Slow cooked for 20 hours like Mom used to make? From a jar? Somewhere in those ranges?

4. Toppings. With lots of grated cheese? No cheese? Pepper? Parsley? Red pepper flakes? Anchovy bread crumbs?

5. What do you drink it with? Red wine? Beer?

Does this dish bring back nostalgic memories? Are your meatballs hockey puck sized?

Ok, discuss away.

Soba

[little ms foodie]

mmmmmm....we are making 'psghetti and meatballs tomorrow night!

We like our meatballs beef, with some parsley, breadcrumbs and grated parm in them. Light though.

We like our sauce homemade, simple red sauce...cooks for about 30-40 mins. Uses canned Italian crushed tomatoes.

We like LOTS of fresh grated parm on the dish!!

We like dried speghetti!

And we like it all with a little green salad, some homemade garlic bread and Chianti!!!

Can't wait for dinner tomorrow!

[petite tête de chou]

I make a few different kinds of meatballs but the most common is...

Ground turkey breast meatballs with tomato sauce over spaghetti.

I use turkey because husband doesn't eat beef and abhors mixed meats. -sigh-

Ground turkey, an egg, fresh bread soaked in milk and squeezed dry, dash of lea and perrins, s/p, rosemary, thyme, summer savory, chives, oregano, minced garlic and sometimes sun-dried tomatoes. Rolled into large walnut sized balls and allowed to sleep overnight in 'fridge. Important for flavor development.

Browned in olive oil on the stove-top, drained and kept warm in a low oven.

For the sauce I use diced tomatoes and tomato sauce (Muir Glen), onion, celery, carrot, sometimes red bell bepper, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, more of the previously mentioned herbs, red wine and home-made chicken stock. I add the veg/herbs and pepper flakes to same pan that I browned the meatballs in. No deglazing at this point, I just let the veg release their juices and scrape down the pan. After about 10 minutes I add the wine. Reduce for 5 minutes, add tomatoes and stock (if using), bring to high simmer, reduce heat and let her bubble away uncovered, for about an hour, more or less. Add the meatballs during the last 1/2 hour to finish cooking in the sauce, a swirl of unsalted butter at the end adds a nice flavor dimension. Plated with grated parmesan and if its summer, fresh basil. If not, parsley.

I use dried spaghetti noodles but would love to try fresh. Garlic bread and a green salad with bleu cheese dressing are usually served with the main dish. Husband prefers an inexpensive Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. I prefer an Oregon Pinot Noir. Eyrie Vineyards or Domaine Drouhin, if I can get it!

[eunny jang]

I love this topic.

I like dried non-fancy spaghetti with a long-cooked red meat sauce, topped with one or two firm, ENORMOUS beef/pork/veal meatballs per person, browned and simmered in the sauce. The meatballs have lots of onion and parsley, and are plenty lubed with fat and dairy.

To drink: a tall, cool glass of milk.

[Varmint]

This is the way I've always made my meatballs (that is, when I can use beef instead of turkey to please Mrs. Varmint): I go ahead and make the sauce. I then use ground round, egg, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, parmesan, and some of the pasta sauce. I don't fry the meatballs first, as we prefer to cook them in the sauce instead. This does result in some grease floating to the top of the sauce, but it adds more of a beefy flavor to it as well. These meatballs are tender and don't have that distinctive "pop" sound as you find when biting into a fried meatball. That's preferable to me.

[hjshorter]

My meatballs sound similar in composition to Varmint's, and I don't brown them ahead of time either. It really adds a lot of flavor to the sauce and the meatballs are incredibly tender.

[Varmint]

My meatballs sound similar in composition to Varmint's, and I don't brown them ahead of time either. It really adds a lot of flavor to the sauce and the meatballs are incredibly tender.

Damn, Heather, I've always known how smart you were, but this puts you in Mensa territory!

[SobaAddict70]

If you cooked them in the sauce, how far along do you cook the sauce before plopping the meatballs in?

I know you use egg as a binder, but what's with the bread crumbs? Some people like to put milk in there too, to lend sweetness.

Soba

[SobaAddict70]

Oh, and don't forget discussion about saucing too.

I'm interested to hear if people finish up by cooking the spaghetti in the sauce or if they do the standard drain and toss method.

You can guess what I'll be having for dinner one of these days this weekend.

Soba

[hjshorter]

My meatballs sound similar in composition to Varmint's, and I don't brown them ahead of time either.  It really adds a lot of flavor to the sauce and the meatballs are incredibly tender.

Damn, Heather, I've always known how smart you were, but this puts you in Mensa territory!

I never did get around to joining them.

Forgot to add:

Dried spaghetti - i save fresh for less robust preparations

Sauce is just onion, garlic, tomatoes, oregano, nothing fancy but cooked for a while to meld

Generous grated cheese - either parm-reg or pecorino

Serve with a salad and garlic bread. Damn I'm hungry now.

[petite tête de chou]

I drain the spaghetti and top it with the sauce. That way husband can choose how much sauce to have on each bite.

Also, because I use ground turkey breast which has almost NO flavor or fat its important to add the egg and bread soaked in milk to add moisture. I actually overspice the meatballs and allow them to sit overnight...ever seeking that elusive element in ground turkey breast, FLAVOR!

The pat of butter added to the sauce at the end helps to round out the flavors and lends a more 'full' mouth feel, as well.

[hathor]

I make a few different variations...but when I want really want to make my husband happy, we do it like this! Its a garlic fest!

Meatballs: ground beef with chopped garlic, crushed Ritz crackers, egg and some marinara sauce, sometimes I sneak a little red wine in there too. Its not how his Mom made them, but too bad. Then they are fried. Sorry Varmint.

Red Sauce: nice, long simmered marinara

Pasta: dried

But then there is the secret sauce: ajahda. That is a phonetic spelling as I've never seen the word written, the origin is Turkish Separdic, and its a recipe handed down thru the generations. Its a garlic/bread/oil paste that is like a cream of rice sort of consistency. It does not get cooked.

So when you serve it, the poppingly fried meat balls have never touched the sauce but get placed on top of the sauced spaghetti, then on top of that you slather on the ajahda. Who needs parmesan when you can mainline garlic??

I find it helpful to also consume massive amounts of red wine to counteract the effects of the garlic. Ajahda is also perfect on top of a steak. Its soooo good I've considered putting it on my Cheerios in the morning...

Now I want some ajahda...

[mjr_inthegardens]

But then there is the secret sauce: ajahda. That is a phonetic spelling as I've never seen the word written, the origin is Turkish Separdic, and its a recipe handed down thru the generations. Its a garlic/bread/oil paste that is like a cream of rice sort of consistency. It does not get cooked. Now I want some ajahda...

I think that would give me agida

[hathor]

What it gives you is protection from vampires for many years to come!!

[Toliver]

I know you use egg as a binder, but what's with the bread crumbs?  Some people like to put milk in there too, to lend sweetness.

If you don't use some sort of bread crumb/cracker crumb (filler), you will end up with dense all-meat meatballs. They'll be heavy enough to use as shot puts. I also imagine the bread is a budget-stretcher, too, so you'll end up with more meatballs for your familia.

Milk is used to soften the bread (usually day-old & not fresh) so it will mix in well.

I made a meatloaf once thinking I wouldn't bother with any sort of bread crumbs/bread in the mix...I could have used the finished product as a door stop. It was very dense and heavy and was tiresome to eat.

But that's my opinion. Perhaps Sam or a SSB will weigh in to the purpose of bread crumbs/bread as a filler in Italian meatballs.

[Squeat Mungry]

I just had spaghetti and meatballs for lunch, then I come back and there's this thread! (Okay, actually they were linguine, but still.) It was really good, too: the meatballs were moist and tender, with good flavor, the sauce was very tomato-y, and they didn't oversauce the linguine. Nice!

[SobaAddict70]

ok, I knew it was for something as elementary as that.

I also faintly recall seeing parsley (or something green) in the sauce at one point, some place. It was the first time I had seen anything like it and made me do a double take.

I've never had walnut sized meatballs. Most of the ones in my experience range from golf ball size to LION'S HEAD meatball sized ones.

Soba

[tryska]

well i don't typically make my own sauce when it's craving time, and i don't typically use meatballs either. it's on my list of stuff to do tho.

in any case, i usually use dried spaghetti and a jar of paul newmans sockerooni.

i doctor it up with some hot italian sausage that i've cut up and fried so they are carmelized a bit, and then sautee some mushrooms in the leftover spicy grease and then simmer the sauce till the sausage has taken on the flavor.

i like it with lots of parmesan. in a bowl.

[phaelon56]

There was a really good FoodTV piee awhile back on the search for the perfect meatball. I think it might even have been Mario Batali who hosted. There were a few differemt variations and the key kitchens they visted were in Italy. beef, pork and veal was generally included in the meat mix and the bread was soaked in milk but then squeezed to eliminate most of the milk before it was mixed in. The ones that looked most interestign to me were rather large and were flattened a bit, browned on both sides in the oven in a roasting pan and then added to the sauce for the final cooking.

This fits in nicely with tonights dinner but my spaghetti will have Gianelli hot Italian turkey sausage instead of meatballs ('cause that's what was int he freezer and this is "let's cook what's in the freezer week).

I'm curious.... does no one else add red wine or tomato paste to their sauce? Surely I am not alone on this. Or am I?

[tryska]

the times i've made suace form scratch, i did both.

(and you mentioned the gianelli's to rub it in one more time didn't you? )

Edited August 26, 2004 by tryska (log)

[hathor]

I'm curious.... does no one else add red wine or tomato paste to their sauce? Surely I am not alone on this. Or am I?

I always add some red wine to the sauce. Tomato paste is optional...depends on if there is any in the cupboard.

[winesonoma]

If you don't use some sort of bread crumb/cracker crumb (filler), you will end up with dense all-meat meatballs. They'll be heavy enough to use as shot puts.

I made a meatloaf once thinking I wouldn't bother with any sort of bread crumbs/bread in the mix...I could have used the finished product as a door stop. It was very dense and heavy and was tiresome to eat.

But that's my opinion. Perhaps Sam or a SSB will weigh in to the purpose of bread crumbs/bread as a filler in Italian meatballs.

With a cat food can you could have made hockey pucks.

[rhodegirl]

Dried spaghetti

A combination of ground pork and ground beef, a slice of good white bread, crust removed, soaked in 1/3 cup milk, chopped fresh parsley, freshly grated parmesan, 1 egg, a tiny, tiny grating of fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper. don't over mix. i make them fairly small, maybe about an inch, inch and a half around, i think. fry them just for a few minutes, then finish cooking them in the sauce (or gravy, as it was called by Italian Americans in Providence, where I grew up)

for the sauce: if i don't have much time - olive oil, small onion chopped, 1/4 cup finely shredded carrots, 1/4 cup finely chopped celery, saute over medium heat for about tenminutes or so. add canned crushed tomatoes, a couple of bay leaves and some crushed hot peppers to taste, cook for about an hour. i add the meatballs for the last 30minutes or so

on a weekend, especially in fall or winter -a variation on the sauce that is slow cooked for hours and hours - meatballs added last half hour or so.

I always add red wine to the slowcooked version and sometimes to the quicker version. I don't usually use tomato paste, unless for some reason the sauce is on the thin side.

drain and toss spaghetti

toppings - lots of freshly grated parmesan

to drink: a chianti or a cabernet

serve with green salad and italian bread

thanks for the great topic, Soba!

[GG Mora]

Heresy, I'm sure, but I use dried linguini. Just the right texture – fettucine is too beefy, spaghettini or (shudder) angel hair just too wimpy.

Little bit of breadcrumbs in the balls, little bit of egg, NEVER any onion, and I like my balls on the big side – bigger than a golf ball, say, about the size of a small clementine. Browned separately.

Sauce is chopped garlic melted in olive oil, canned whole San Marzano or SM-type tomatoes, S&P, red pepper flakes, and a splash or two of balsamic vinegar to mellow the acid in the tomatoes. All simmered for 45 minutes or so, then blitzed quickly with the immersion blender. Sauce gets ladled over the cooked pasta, meatballs laid reverently on top.

Lots of grated parm on top. Don't need bread on the side. Simple mixed greens with V&O. Whatever red wine is hanging around.

Not something I'd make for company, really, more of a school night kind of dinner. First time I made it for my stepkids, my stepson raved and said "Wow. I never knew you could make your own spaghetti and meatballs". Meaning that, previously, he'd only had it out of a can or at a "restaurant".

Edited August 26, 2004 by GG Mora (log)

[CtznCane]

What a good topic. Spaghetti and Meatballs has to be right up near the top of comfort foods. I like my meatballs primarily beef with maybe a beef pork combo. From there the onions partsley bread crumbs and whichever herbs strike my fancy. I do lightly fry mine first to get rid of some of the grease.

As to the pasta? Dried spaghetti.

For the sauce either just a pure tomato sauce or, to go over the top using my normal spaghetti sauce which I always keep frozen on hand that has lots of ground chuck and italian sausage.

Man, I'm getting hungry now.