Well they might now be world famous but they will be and are pretty damn good if you ask me. Meatballs was one of my all time favorites when I was a kid. Then I kind of went on a vacation so to speak from meatballs for about a decade. Then I started really getting into cooking and realized that meatballs are amazing and I have been missing out. Not to mention that you can do about a hundred different things with these meatballs. I serve them over spagetti, put them on a sandwich or even cram them into a lasagna. The possibilities are endless. Now that I think about it I want to put them in a burrito with tons of cheese and rice.
Anyways you can experiment with this recipe all you want. I know that the traditional method of using eggs for meatballs is 1 egg per pound of meat but I use 2. It seems to keep them softer and more juicy. Also you can experiment with the spices and how you cook them as well. I have seen them put into the sauce raw, deep fried then dropped into the sauce, baked and just put over the noodles then smothered in sauce you can pretty much do whatever you want. You can also make them as big or little as you want.
Hope you like them and please let me know that you think.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion grated
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- a little less than a 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 7 - 8 cups of quick and easy marinara sauce (recipe below)
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
The Process
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sausage, beef, onion, eggs, parm, basil, oregano, pepper, salt, pepper flakes nutmeg, garlic and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and using your hands, mix well (this is my favorite part). Roll into golf ball sized portions and place on an greased, rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes - 30 minutes or until they start to turn brown and the grease has released from the meat ball.
2. While baking the meat balls, heat up the marinara sauce in a large pot over medium heat. When the meatballs are done place them in the sauce and simmer for 1 hour over low heat stirring occasionally.
3. When you have 30 minutes left start your water boiling. When the water is boiling add the noodles and cook until al dente. Strain out the water and return to the heat. Add a 2 ladle fulls of sauce and stir to combine evenly. Remove from heat.
4. To serve place a nest of noodles offset on a plate, then 2 - 3 meatballs, then a big ladle of sauce. Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
5. Enjoy!!!
** Quick and Easy Marinara **
Ingredients
- 1 onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 28 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
The Process
1. In a medium sauce pot, combine the oil, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes over medium high heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes or until the wine has bee reduced by half.
2. Add the tomato sauce, parmesan, salt, pepper, sugar, oregano and basil and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat stirring frequently.
3. Enjoy!
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