Spaghetti with meatballs

Printable version of the recipe

Preparation time: 40 min
Cooking time: 1h 20 min
Total time: 120 min
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
200 g ground veal
250 g ground pork
500 g ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Sunflower and olive oil for frying

Sauce:
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
½ cup red wine
1 (795 g) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and ¾ cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 5 cm meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
2. Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (30 cm) skillet to a depth of 1 cm. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
3. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.