1
Prepare ingredients by finely chopping 1 onion, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1/2 cup fresh basil. Press or mince 7 garlic cloves (3 for meatballs, 4 for sauce).
2
In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, 2 eggs, 3 garlic cloves, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and optional lemon zest. Mix well.
3
Add 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork to the bowl. Using clean, damp hands, gently combine everything until just mixed, being careful not to overmix.
4
Shape the mixture into approximately 18 meatballs of about 2 ounces each. An ice cream scoop helps with uniformity; gently hand-roll each one to compress and shape.
5
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Once shimmering, add meatballs in batches without crowding. Brown them on all sides for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer cooked batches to a plate.
6
Pour off 2 tablespoons excess fat from the pot, keeping the flavorful browned bits. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the fond.
7
Add the 4 pressed or minced garlic cloves and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional). Stir constantly for 1 minute to prevent garlic from burning.
8
Pour in 2 cans (28 oz each) of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
9
Bring the sauce to a simmer, then gently add all the meatballs. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.
10
At the 45-minute mark, start a large pot of well-salted water and bring to a boil. Add 1 pound spaghetti and cook to al dente according to package directions.
11
After 1 hour of simmering, uncover the sauce, stir in 1/2 cup fresh basil, remove the bay leaf, and taste to adjust seasoning as needed.
12
Drain the pasta, reserving some starchy pasta water. Toss about 2 cups of the meatball sauce with the drained pasta, adding pasta water if needed to achieve desired consistency. Plate the pasta, top with meatballs and additional sauce, and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
PrimedTableBETA
