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Ingredients
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Meatballs
Tomato Sauce
Pasta & Finishing
Method
Meatballs
- 1
Soak breadcrumbs
Place fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the whole milk over them. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until milk is absorbed.
- 2
Combine ingredients
In a large bowl, add ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, beaten egg, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, 1.5 tsp salt and 0.75 tsp black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to gently combine until just mixed; avoid overworking.
- 3
Portion meatballs
Shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch (about golf-ball) meatballs, yielding roughly 18–20. Place on a rimmed tray or plate lined with parchment.
- 4
Brown meatballs
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add meatballs and brown on all sides (about 2–3 minutes per side). Transfer browned meatballs to a plate. They do not need to be fully cooked through.
- 5
Finish in sauce
After sauce has simmered (see Tomato Sauce steps), nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering sauce, cover partially, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C). Spoon sauce over them occasionally.
Tomato Sauce
- 6
- 7
Build sauce
Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to mellow acidity. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried basil, 0.5 tsp dried oregano and 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine.
- 8
Simmer
Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add 0.5 tsp sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic. If sauce thickens too much before meatballs are added, stir in up to 1/4 cup water or reserved pasta water later.
- 9
Add fresh basil and meatballs
After simmering, add torn fresh basil leaves (reserve some for garnish). Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce and continue with the meatballs step: simmer covered partially for 15–20 minutes until cooked through.
Pasta & Finishing
- 10
Cook spaghetti
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the spaghetti.
- 11
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained spaghetti to the pot with a few ladlefuls of the simmering tomato sauce (or transfer sauce to the pasta pot). Toss gently to coat. If mixture seems dry, add reserved pasta water, up to 1/2 cup, a little at a time to loosen and create a glossy finish.
- 12
Plate
Divide spaghetti among 4 plates or 3 generous servings. Spoon meatballs and additional sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and finish with torn fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- 13
Serve
Serve immediately with extra grated cheese and crushed red pepper on the side.