Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 yellow onion, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ~2 lbs ground sirloin (90/10)
- 1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 yellow onion, finely diced
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (12 oz) tomato puree
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, torn
- ~1.5 lbs spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Make the Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, half & half, and egg and mix to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid.
Add the grated onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, ground sirloin, Italian sausage, parmesan, basil, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix well by hand – don’t overmix or the meatballs get tough.
Using a 1/4 cup scoop, portion the mixture and roll into balls. You should get about 18-20 meatballs. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Broil the Meatballs at ~500F
Set your oven broiler to high and arrange the top rack to be in the middle of the oven.
Broil for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. The meatballs won’t be cooked through yet – that happens in the sauce.
At this point, you can cool and freeze the meatballs if you want to make this ahead, or transfer them straight to the sauce.
Start the Sauce
In a large skillet, braiser, or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for one minute more – you’ll smell it when it’s ready.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, and sugar. Bring to a light simmer and add the torn basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer the Meatballs in Sauce
Add the meatballs in a single layer and gently toss to coat with the sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes.
The meatballs will finish cooking through and the sauce will thicken up nicely. Taste the sauce for seasoning about halfway through and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Toss with the cooked spaghetti and serve topped with more fresh basil and parmesan.
Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 yellow onion, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ~2 lbs ground sirloin, 90/10
- 1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 yellow onion, finely diced
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 15 oz
- 1 can tomato puree, 12 oz
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, torn
- ~1.5 lbs spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Instructions
- Soak breadcrumbs in half & half and egg for 5 minutes.
- Add remaining meatball ingredients and mix gently by hand.
- Form 18-20 meatballs using 1/4 cup scoop.
- Broil meatballs at 500F for 10-12 minutes until browned.
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes.
- Add red pepper flakes, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes, puree, sugar, and basil.
- Simmer sauce, then add meatballs.
- Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes.
- Toss with cooked spaghetti.
- Serve with extra basil and parmesan.