Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Category

Dinner

Cuisine

Italian

Servings

4-6

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

40 min

Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American dish developed by Italian immigrants in the US during the early 20th century. In Italy, meatballs (polpette) and pasta exist separately; the combination is distinctly American... and it's delicious so we're making them.

I've used a 50/50 blend of beef and pork mince for the meatballs. The beef provides structure and flavour, while the pork’s higher fat content keeps the meatballs moist through browning and simmering. The panade (dried breadcrumbs soaked in milk) acts as a binder and moisture trap, so the meatballs stay tender even after 20 minutes cooking in the tomato sauce.

We're starting the sauce with a soffritto: grated onion, celery and carrot cooked down until soft, which gives a rounded sweetness that balances the acidity of the passata. Grating rather than chopping the vegetables means they cook faster and break down fully into the sauce. The meatballs are browned first to develop a crust, then returned to the sauce to finish cooking through, absorbing the tomato as the sauce simmers. Finishing with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan at the table adds richness at the point of serving, where neither gets lost in the heat.

Ingredient Notes

Beef and pork mince:

A 50/50 blend. Beef alone produces a denser, chewier meatball with a stronger flavour but less moisture. Pork alone is softer and fattier but milder. Combined, the pork fat keeps the meatball juicy while the beef carries the flavour. Use mince with at least 20% fat in both; extra lean mince will produce a dry, tight result.

Dried breadcrumbs:

Standard fine dried breadcrumbs work better here than panko. Panko has a coarser, more open crumb that suits fresh-cheese mixtures like ricotta. Fine dried breadcrumbs absorb the milk more fully and give a tighter, more uniform texture that holds together well when the meatball is browned and simmered.

Passata:

Passata is uncooked, strained tomatoes with no added seasoning. It forms the base of the sauce and cooks down further with the soffritto and meatballs. Don’t use a pre-seasoned jar of pasta sauce here; the added sugar, salt and herbs in commercial sauces can make the finished dish taste over-seasoned and sweet.

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Ingredients

75g (¾ cup) dried breadcrumbs
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
80ml (⅓ cup) milk
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper, to season
40g (½ cup) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, grated
1 celery stick, grated
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
700g jar passata sauce
pinch of chilli flakes
3 sprigs basil
500g spaghetti
extra virgin olive oil and parmesan, for serving

Equipment

Chopping board
Box grater (for onion, celery and carrot)
Large mixing bowl
Large heavy-based frying pan with lid
Tongs
Large saucepan (for pasta)
Colander

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Directions

PREP THE MEATBALLS

Combine the breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder and milk in a large bowl and mix. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Add the parsley, parmesan, minces, and season with salt and pepper. Mix very well until it completely comes together.
Divide mixture into 16 portions and roll into balls.

COOK THE MEATBALLS

Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan on medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook the meatballs for 6-8 minutes, turning to brown well on 3 sides. Set aside on a tray.

COOK THE SAUCE

Increase the heat to medium and add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Season with salt and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.
Pour in passata, then fill the jar with a little water and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring.
Add basil and chilli flakes. Return the meatballs to the pan and gently stir to coat in the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

FINISH AND SERVE

Cook pasta according to packet directions in a large saucepan of salted boiling water.
Drain the pasta and divide between serving bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce.
Garnish with a generous amount of grated parmesan and some basil leaves. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve!

Notes

Chef Tips

Rolling meatballs

You can roll the meatballs and add them straight to the pan as you go, but if you aren’t confident on your speed of this then prep them all ahead and then add to the heated pan.

Storage

Meatballs can be refrigerated for several days in their sauce in an airtight container. Toss some olive oil through the pasta before storing and refrigerating in an airtight container, to prevent it sticking together.

Serving ideas

You could mix it up with some other pasta shapes for this dish, but longer is better for this sauce, such as pappardelle, fettuccine, linguine.