Spaghetti and Meatballs

12 Servings
Pasta
Italian
Main Dish Advance Pasta Italian

6 28-ounce can atoes whole
2 ons medium
1/2 cup ve oil extra-virgin
6 lic
2 ons medium
1/4 cup ve oil extra-virgin
10 lic
3 cup bread torn day-old Italian
3 cup k whole
6 s large
1/3 cup sley finely chopped flat-leaf
1/4 cup gano finely chopped
1 tablespoon on zest grated
1 1/2 pound ground l
1 1/2 pound ground k
1 1/2 und beef
1 cup ve oil
2 pound spaghetti dried

Equipment: a 12- to 16-qt nonreactive heavy pot or 2 smaller nonreactive pots; a 6- to 8-qt pasta pot with a pasta/steamer insert for cooking spaghetti in 2 batches Make tomato sauce: Drain tomatoes, reserving juice in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to juice. Cook onions in oil in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, 4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt. Make meatballs while sauce simmers: Cook onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. Soak bread in milk in another bowl until soft, about 5 minutes. Firmly squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discarding milk. Stir together cooled onion mixture, bread, eggs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, 5 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper until combined. Add meats to bread mixture, gently mixing with your hands until just combined (do not overmix). Form meat mixture into about 70 (1 1/2-inch) balls with dampened hands, arranging meatballs on 2 large baking sheets or in shallow baking pans. Heat olive or vegetable oil (1 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meatballs in 4 or 5 batches (without crowding), turning frequently, about 5 minutes per batch. Return to baking sheets. Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. (If pot is not large enough, divide meatballs and sauce between 2 pots.) Prepare pasta: Cook spaghetti in 2 batches in pasta insert in boiling salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water) until just al dente, draining and tossing each batch with some of sauce in a large serving dish. Serve with meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated cheese. Cooks? notes: Meatballs can be made and simmered in sauce 5 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Meatballs with sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or heavy-duty sealable bags up to 3 months.


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