Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs
Country Ground Beef
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This is an authentic Italian recipe. It was given to me by my cousin's wife, who is from Italy. It's so hearty and satisfying, everyone's eyes light up when I tell my family that we're having this for supper!—Etta Winter, Pavillion, New York
SERVINGS: 6
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Stovetop - One-Dish
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 1-1/2 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
- 1-1/2 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons grated onion
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 slices day-old bread, torn into pieces
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 pound ground beef
- Hot cooked spaghetti
- Additional Parmesan cheese, optional
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, sugar, grated onion, oregano, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours.
Meanwhile, soak bread in remaining water. Squeeze out excess moisture. In a large bowl, combine the bread, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining salt, garlic and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into about thirty-six 1-1/2-in. meatballs.
Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to spaghetti sauce. Simmer, uncovered, until heated through, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti with additional Parmesan if desired. Yield: 6 servings.