on top of spaghetti

It’s finals week at colleges all over the country and students are stressing out. My own son is in the throes of law school exams and is studying so hard he barely has time to come up for air, let alone nutritional sustenance. What’s a loving mother to do? The only thing I can do: stock his freezer with ready to reheat meals that will go a long way toward fortifying his body while he’s taxing his brain. One of his absolute favorites is this dish. These meatballs are well seasoned, savory little nuggets that are deliciously light, thanks to my little culinary secret. And the sauce they’re steeped in comes together in a snap. I freeze individual portions for him to use when he chooses–all that’s left to do is boil the spaghetti. Of course, he could also just stuff those luscious meatballs into a hero roll and call it dinner. Okay, my work here is done.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

The method for making these meatballs is simple: combine three kinds of ground meat with minced herbs, pressed garlic, grated parmesan and an egg. The secret ingredient, bread that’s been soaked in milk, is mixed in to keep these babies tender and fluffy. They are then baked–not fried–and gently simmered in the sauce to finish. Mamma mia, that’s good!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the inside pulp of a half baguette or small bread and tear into pieces. Place in bowl, add milk and set aside to allow bread to absorb the liquid.

I use three kinds of ground meat: pork, beef and veal, which you can usually find packaged together at your butcher. The different meats help balance the fat and flavor in these meatballs.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with minced parsley and basil, pressed garlic cloves, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a beaten egg.

Add the soaked bread and combine all ingredients gently and thoroughly, being careful not to overwork the meat. Generously season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Moisten your hands and roll meatballs into the size of golf balls.

Lay them out on lined baking sheets– a silicone baking liner works best, but you can also use parchment paper or foil. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans midway.

While the meatballs bake, begin your sauce. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add several smashed garlic cloves and let them cook for about a minute, flavoring the oil.

I like a smooth tomato sauce for this dish. Pulse canned peeled whole tomatoes in a blender (one can at a time) for 30 seconds until pureed. Slowly add to the hot pan.

Season the sauce with a pinch of red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and dried thyme and oregano. Crush the dried herbs in the palm of your hand to release their essential oils as you add them to the pan.

Add sugar to balance the acid of the tomatoes. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning.

When the meatballs have finished baking, add them to the sauce. Simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until heated through.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Plate the pasta and top generously with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with minced basil and a flurry of freshly grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Serves 4 to 6:

Meatballs:

1/2 baguette or small bread, crust removed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground pork, beef & veal (1/2 pound each)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced basil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 smashed garlic cloves
2-28 ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
pinch red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar

1 pound spaghetti
minced basil for garnish
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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