The Silver Spoon Cookbook – Spaghetti and Meatballs

This book is FAT. Yep, a epic hefty paperweight of Italian cookbook. I felt cultured from Chapter 1 – Sauces. I was in the mood for a new spaghetti and meatballs. I have many variations but this one is my new favorite. In the book, it’s Rigatoni with Meatballs… this sauce is delicious!! My version of this recipe is below – a meaty, tangy and fragrant Italian dinner straight from The Silver Spoon.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Adapted from The Silver Spoon Cookbook

Ingredients
Meatloaf mix – ground pork, beef, and veal (about 2 lbs)
1-2 fresh flat-leaf parsley leaf sprigs, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
flour, for dusting
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin and in 2-3 pieces
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 small fresh rosemary sprig, chopped
Crushed tomatoes (15 oz jar)
1 box of spaghetti, cooked Al dente
Parmesan Cheese, for dressing
Garlic bread, for dipping

Instructions
Combine the ground meat, egg, parsley and garlic in a bowl. Then add salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into small meatballs, dust with flour and set aside. Heat the oil in a large deep pan, add the onion, celery, carrot, and rosemary and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then add the meatballs and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the meatballs are lightly browned all over, then add the crushed tomatoes. Lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes. Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water to al dente, drain and serve meatballs with sauce over the pasta. Dress with freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy! I also served this with garlic bread and it was super delicious!

-M

Home Made Pasta Sauce (so easy!)

I never made pasta sauce before, and i was making spaghetti with meatballs and just honestly, didnt feel like using sauce from a jar! i wanted to just try making my own.

why not? right?

Ingredients:

• Olive oil for the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped parsley
• 10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• Parmesan Cheese

In an oiled deep pan on medium heat, add finely chopped onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until onion is soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and parsley. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese inside too. Add salt to taste (maybe like 1 tbsp). If the sauce is too runny, add some starchy pasta water or some tomato paste if you have it. Let the mixture simmer for about 10-12 minutes until bubbling and delicious. Towards the end when you’re ready to serve, mix in the basil.

So easy and DELICIOUS. I never want to buy canned pasta sauce again. It took me like 10 minutes to make.

This was my spaghetti and meatballs – so yummy!

-M

Delicious Spaghetti and Meatballs

Not sure why i’ve been on a sauce and cheese frenzy… but it just always seems like the right food to fill me up fast!

I’ve been so busy with working my refrigerator is frowning at me with emptiness and the last thing in my freezer was ground beeeeeeeef. I decided = meatballs.

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 cup of fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (not sure why!)
1 egg
Spaghetti sauce – to your liking, or make your own!
1 tsp. (understatement) of grated parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Mix everything together nicely – then form into meatballs (the size of a golf ball). You can use any sauce you’d like with this or make your own – Heat up the sauce on a saucepan, put the balls into the sauce and let them simmer covered for 30 minutes. Serve over your favorite type of pasta and enjoy!

-M