Are you looking for a classic spaghetti and meatballs recipe that can feed a crowd? With the right recipe and a little planning, you can easily make this iconic Italian dish for a special occasion or a casual get-together. This article provides a carefully curated recipe from cooks illustrated, ensuring that you can create a delicious and memorable meal for your friends and family. Get ready to indulge in a hearty and flavorful spaghetti and meatballs dish that is sure to satisfy everyone's taste buds.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CROWD-SOURCED SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
One of the first meals many home cooks attempt is spaghetti and meatballs. It's simple yet comforting, and whether we grew up eating it from a can or homemade, the dish has a rightful place in our childhood memories. I first learned to twirl my fork with spaghetti from the can, and somewhere along the way, maybe when it was decided that I would enjoy the nuances of a different version, my mom's homemade spaghetti and meatballs arrived at the table. But this recipe isn't hers; it's yours! Now let's get down to it: According to the poll I posted, you all had mixed feelings about using dried herbs versus fresh, but dried won with 51 percent of the votes. It was so close, I'll leave you fresh-herb lovers with a tip: If you go with fresh, use three times more than the amount of dried herbs in the recipe. And although no one asked, you should know that this recipe goes well with garlic bread. And tons of it. So here it is: a recipe curated by you and for you. To catch the next poll, follow me @SunnyAnderson on Twitter. It's the tastiest questionnaire around!
Provided by Sunny Anderson
Categories main-dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Make the meatballs: Combine the beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, basil and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the meat and gently mix with your hands until well blended. Roll into 12 golf ball-size meatballs. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning, until well browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Discard the oil and gently wipe out the pot with a paper towel.
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley, basil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar and 1/2 cup water.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, 18 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Return the spaghetti to the pasta pot, ladle in about half of the sauce and toss well to coat, adding more sauce if necessary. Divide the spaghetti and meatballs among bowls. Top with Parmesan and serve with the remaining sauce.
CLASSIC SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS FOR A CROWD
Steps:
- 1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. 2.Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 11/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs. 3. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through. 4. FOR THE SAUCE: While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. 5. Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. 6. Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot. 7. TO SERVE: Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce.
CLASSIC SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS FOR A CROWD COOK'S ILLUSTRATED. SERVES 12. RECIPE
Provided by á-248
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- 1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. 2. Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 11/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs. 3. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through. 4. FOR THE SAUCE: While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. 5. Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. 6. Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot. 7. TO SERVE: Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.
Tips:
- Use good quality ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will make a big difference in the flavor of your spaghetti and meatballs. Look for ripe tomatoes, flavorful garlic, and good quality ground beef.
- Brown the meatballs well: Browning the meatballs gives them a nice crust and helps to develop their flavor. Make sure to brown them in a hot skillet over medium-high heat.
- Simmer the sauce for a long time: The longer you simmer the sauce, the better the flavor will be. Simmer it for at least 30 minutes, or even longer if you have time.
- Use a good quality pasta: Use a high-quality pasta that will hold its shape when cooked. Spaghetti is a classic choice, but you could also use penne, rigatoni, or another type of pasta.
- Cook the pasta al dente: Al dente pasta is cooked until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it. This will help to prevent the pasta from becoming mushy when you add it to the sauce.
- Serve the spaghetti and meatballs with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese is a classic topping for spaghetti and meatballs. It adds a salty, nutty flavor that complements the other flavors in the dish.
Conclusion:
This recipe for spaghetti and meatballs is a classic for a reason. It is simple to make, but it is always a hit with a crowd. The meatballs are tender and flavorful, the sauce is rich and hearty, and the pasta is cooked perfectly. Follow these tips to make the best spaghetti and meatballs you've ever had.
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