Spaghetti with Meatballs

Spaghetti with Meatballs is a comfort food loved all over the world. Here’s a classic recipe:

Ingredients for the Meatballs:

• 500 g of ground meat (beef and/or pork)
• 100 g of stale bread or breadcrumbs
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying

Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 800 g of peeled tomatoes or tomato puree
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the Pasta:

• 400 g of spaghetti

Preparation of the Meatballs:

1. Soak the stale bread in water or milk, then squeeze it out and crumble it.

2. In a bowl, mix together ground meat, bread, Parmesan, eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper until you have a homogeneous mixture.

3. Form meatballs to the desired size and fry them in a pan with oil until they are golden. Then set them aside.

Preparation of the Sauce:

1. In a saucepan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until golden.

2. Add the peeled tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil and let the sauce cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

3. Add the meatballs to the sauce and continue to cook on low heat for another hour.

Preparation of the Spaghetti:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente following the instructions on the package.

2. Drain the spaghetti and reserve some of the cooking water.

3. Add the spaghetti directly to the sauce with the meatballs, adding some cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

4. Gently mix to combine the pasta and sauce.

Serve the spaghetti with meatballs in deep plates, garnished with fresh basil and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan if desired. Buon appetito!