Being part Italian means that I’ve eaten quite a bit of pasta in my day…but, nothing gets me more excited than my Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs! Anytime I’m visiting home I ask her to make it because I love it so much. (It’s a favorite of my dad’s too!!) After raving about it to Nathan for what seemed like forever, we decided to make it together a few weekends back for a date-night-in! 🍝🍷It was so much fun gathering all of the ingredients at Whole Foods, and going back home to pour ourselves a glass of wine + get to cooking! There’s something so relaxing and fun about enjoying a date night with your love by preparing a meal together at home. We laughed, had a little too much Chianti, talked over a delicious plate of spaghetti, and it was perfect.♥️
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
For The Sauce:
- one can of whole peeled tomatoes
- Classico Cabernet Marinara Sauce
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- *secret ingredient*– caraway seed
- red pepper flakes
- pecorino romano cheese
- basil
- red wine (chianti, merlot, and cabernet are the best for spaghetti!)
- salt
- pepper
- garlic
- fresh parsley **to garnish it at the end**
The showstopper in this dish (in my opinion) are the meatballs!! My mom makes THE BEST meatballs and I’m sharing her ingredients for you below. The are honestly DELICIOUS, and you’ll want to add them to every dish!😋
For The Meatballs:
- one egg
- ground beef
- dry oregano
- dry basil
- freshly chopped basil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Italian bread crumbs
- salt
- pepper
- pecorino romano cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Fry a small handful of yellow onions in medium size sauce pan then add 1/4 pound of ground beef and brown the meat with olive oil. Add salt and pepper only. Once it is browned, add 1/4 cup red wine of your choice (my mom typically uses Chianti, Merlot or Cabernet!). Lower the heat and let simmer a little. When the wine reduces some, add the tomatoes (mom places them in the blender first!), add “secret ingredient” Classico Marinara Sauce”, add a spoon of crushed dry oregano and of dry basil, half a teaspoon of caraway seed, 5 or six crushed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, then add salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer. (Add more wine 🍷if needed!) – To sauce and your glass! 😉
2. To the remainder of the ground beef: add one egg, one teaspoon of each dry oregano & dry basil, 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup shredded dry pecorino romano cheese (we love our cheese around here😜), salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Mix well!
3. Form the meatballs and fry them in olive oil. Once fried on all sides, drop them in the sauce and let them simmer at low heat. You can then shred a little pecorino romano cheese into the sauce. But not too much so it isn’t too thick!
4. Add boiled spaghetti noodles and stir in sauce, plate it with fresh basil and fresh parsley on top, refill your glass with wine, turn on some jazz🎵, and enjoy! ♥️
