What??
Posted on 03/16/2015 12:04:27 PM PDT by ken5050
Meatballs and spaghetti, with a simple marinara sauce, is one of life's greatest comfort foods. I consider myself a serious cook, and I've been making the dish for years, with a few tweaks along the way. Everyone loves it...never had a complaint. But for such a simple dish, there seems to be a near infinite number of variations and possibilities. Lots of FReepers are into food, so I thought I'd throw it open for discussion (and a brief respite from all things Hillary all the time)
This is also one of my favorite comfort foods!
I sauté the onions first (sweet only). Really like the flavor better in the meatball.
I used to do the beff/pork/ veal mix but now I use only veal. Everyone seems to prefer them that way. I add egg, breadcrumbs if I’m in a rush( otherwise the bread soaked in milk), crushed garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, pepper and freshly grated parmesan. I now bake them.
Did not know the Soprano’s had a cook book. Wow. Going to get that!
It’s not a recipe but seriously, Newman’s sauces are pretty good.
I make my own Italian sauce, takes three hours, is authentic NY Italian sauce. I’m pretty picky. Surprised at Newman’s being that good.
Ping to Jamestown.
Ken, Jamestown is the new keeper of the FR Cooking thread, if you’re interested.
What??
“So, in search of the BEST MEATBALLS AND MARINARA SAUCE...what’s your preference?”
There are rules, sir!
Marinara sauce classically is a quick, light tomato sauce, that is meatless (hence the name). Traditionally, it is made with garlic and basil BUT NO ONIONS.
In Italian households, it was a sauce used on days of abstinence from meat, and also as a base in fish meals: for example shrimp can be served with it as is (gamberi marinara) or with added hot red pepper (gamberi fra diavolo).
Again, traditionally, it is eaten without grated cheese - in fact a friend of mine was berated by an Italian waiter in a restaurant in Naples when he asked for grated cheese for a dish of maccheroni alla marinara!
Because it is a light, meatless sauce, it “doesn’t go” (to use my grandmother’s terminology) with meatballs, which require a heavier sauce.
So, with meatballs, you should use a meat sauce (made with onions, garlic and other spices) - usually a ragout made with beef and pork (and sometimes lamb)depending on the type of pasta, e.g., in our house, home-made potato gnocchi called for a tomato sauce made only with pork, which is a bit lighter and sweeter than standard meat sauce.
BTW, ANY leftover sauce can be the basis for one of my favorite breakfast items: Eggs in Purgatory: this is a dish of eggs poached in tomato sauce, hot red pepper to taste, and preferably with some mozzarella added to melt over the eggs.
Now, that’s breakfast.
Oh. The family’s meatball and sauce recipes are classified.
Brown meatballs with butter in frying pan, finish cooking in sauce.
Makes the sauce just the right amount greasy.
You are missing out on one of the finest things every creates.
A Frozen meatball is one of the first things ever manufactured.
That sounds like a great breakfast. I am writing this down.
I will say a novena for you....
(The only reason my MIL still lives with us, is that she makes the “gravy.”)
Italians in Italy do not cook spaghetti and meatballs. ;-)
I do not put meatballs into my spaghetti sauce.
I am going to give to you a recipe that, if you would serve it to Italians, would be your friends forever:
Ingredients:
One whole chuck roast.
A package of Italian sausage.
One pound of ground beef, broken into almost individual grinds.
Boneless chicken thighs, ( amount is flexible )
One large, sliced yellow squash
One large, sliced zucchini.
4 green peppers, cut to the size you like.
Sliced celery, cut to the size you like.
One whole onion, chopped to size.
One whole garlic, peeled and sliced to size.
One whole garlic, to be put into the sauce whole, without peeling.
One large potato peeled and cut to size.
Four boiled eggs, to be put into the sauce just prior to serving.
One small package of ‘baby carrots’.
Sugar to taste.
Oregano and sage to taste or a small amount of “Italian seasoning.
One can of tomato paste. I prefer Contadina.
One or more cans of whole tomatoes.
Olive oil to be added after the pot is already cooking or I prefer peanut oil.
Fry off all of the meat. Put it aside until the pot is ‘ready’.
In the cooking pot, put all of the green peppers, all of the celery, all of the sliced garlic and all of the chopped onions with a small amount of cooking oil, not olive oil, and butter. Olive oil should never be used for frying anything.
Let it simmer until the vegetables get soft.
Add the whole tomatoes.
Add the tomato paste.
Add the carrots.
Ass the whole garlic.
Add water or beer as you prefer.
Add meats after they have been ‘fried off’.
Add oregano and/or sage to taste.
Almost forgot the bread: One loaf of French or other loaf bread. Cut and fold it open. Pour generous amounts of butter, olive oil and minced garlic to the bread. Put in oven about 10 - 15 minutes on 400 degrees just prior to serving.
Add the squash and zucchini about an hour before it is to be served.
Add the boiled eggs about 20 minutes before being served.
Let it cook on low heat for about 4 - 6 hours depending upon the quality of the meat. The beef will almost melt in your mouth as will the chicken. The Italian sausage will stay firm because of the skin but still be very soft.
Spaghetti:
Boil water with a small amount of olive oil, butter, onion powder and garlic powder and salt.
Boil for 10 minutes.
Pour the water and spaghetti into a colander. Put some of the hot water back into the pot in which it was boiled. Put the pot back on the stove. Put the colander with the spaghetti in it into the ‘edges’ of the pot. The hot water in the bottom of the pot keeps the spaghetti moist.
Put a large kitchen spoon into the spaghetti pot.
Put a large kitchen fork into the spaghetti.
Give each person who is to eat a plate, knife, fork and spoon. Let each person serve himself directly from the pot. In that way, the food stays reasonably hot and everyone gets to take what he wants.
Yes, I know that this is long and difficult but it is the only way to eat spaghetti! Meatballs? Bah-humbug! ;-)
Making homemade meatballs is a lot of work. I used to make a large batch to make it worth it, bake them in the oven, then store them in ziplocks in the freezer. Then I discovered the Walmart Italian style meatballs. Way more easier to just count out about 14 for a meal for two and they're pretty tasty.
What's more important is the sauce. I start out with a tbsp of olive oil, then add the frozen meatballs (about 14 - enough for two), 1/2 diced medium onion, 1/2 diced medium bell pepper, and about 3 large cloves of finely minced garlic.
Sautee all together on a medium heat stirring often to prevent the meatballs from burning, until the onions are soft and transparent and the peppers also are soft.
While the above are cooking, I prepare the other ingredients in a small bowl that I can quickly dump into the pan. In the bowl goes 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or 1/2 black with 1/2 white), 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp freshly minced basil, 1 tbsp freshly minced oregano, 1/2 tbsp freshly minced thyme, 1/2 tbsp freshly minced parsley, a dash of ginger, and 1/2 can of tomato paste.
When the vegetables and meatballs are ready as noted above, dump in the remaining ingredients and add 1 cup of water. Continuously stir over medium heat until everything is thoroughly mixed (about five minutes) them let simmer for 10 - 15 mins. I can prepare this meal in about 30 minutes from the time the frozen meatballs hit the pan to table.
Serve with your favorite pasta, salad, corn on the cob, wine/beer, and garlic bread.
I like the marrow bones..great idea..many thanks..
Last year I got the meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. I grind all my own meat now...takes a little time to cut and trim..but well worth it..when you know what is NOT going into your ground meat. I make a lot..then freeze them..
Marrow is very rich and sweet. You’ll like it!
WHOA!!! “14 for a meal for 2..” What are they..like olives?
HOW BIG SHOULD A MEATBALL BE?
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