All American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Sometimes nothing will do but big old plate of pasta. I'm not usually a big spaghetti and meatballs kind of gal, because it's always so heavy, but every few years, I get a craving for it. This recipe is by no means the authentic Italian version that your grandmother makes because, let's face it, I'm about as Italian as Bono. But here's my take on the traditional Italian American dish, lightened up a bit with my unfussy approach.

Quick Tomato Sauce

This recipe is based on one I found in a Lidia Bastianich Cookbook. I've never quite understood the ideology behind simmering tomato sauce all day, and I actually prefer this pared down version of tomato sauce that only takes about 20 minutes to cook. Because it's such a basic recipe, make sure your garlic and basil are fresh, fresh, fresh.

1 28 oz can of Italian Style tomatoes (preferably whole, but you could also use the crushed or ground kind, just not diced)

5-6 Fresh basil leaves, torn

4-5 smashed and peeled whole garlic cloves

olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste

pinch of sugar if needed

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat the tomatoes over low heat. If using whole tomatoes, smush them with a wooden spoon as they warm up.
2. Add the garlic, basil, and olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes.
3. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

*If the tomatoes are very acidic, you can add a pinch of sugar to mellow it out.

Meatballs

Because this recipe uses milk soaked bread, you can use a lower fat meat and the meatballs will still be moist. Feel free to use a mixture of pork and beef, or use turkey instead. I used plain beef here because I didn't feel like buying a ton of meat.

1 lb 95% lean ground beef

1/2 vidalia or mayan sweet onion, peeled and grated

1 large garlic clove grated with a microplane or 1 tbsp garlic paste

1 cup torn pieces of Wegman's tuscan garlic loaf or other bread of your choice, crusts removed

1/2 cup milk (low fat or skim is ok)

1 egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tbsb fresh parsley, finely chopped

fat pinch of salt

ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Soak bread pieces in milk and set aside.
3. Combine ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large bowl.
4. Squeeze excess milk from the bread and add to the beef-onion mixture.
5. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
6. Form beef mixture into small meatballs and place in a baking dish. Make sure the meatballs to do not touch each other.
7. Bake for about 8 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Add the meatballs to your Quick Tomato Sauce or other sauce of your choice and simmer very gently over low heat.
9. Cook spaghetti according to directions on box.
10. Top spaghetti with meatballs and sauce and serve.
    

*If you like, reserve a little of the sauce before adding the meatballs and toss the pasta in it before topping with the remaining sauce and meatballs.