I revisited an old archive favorite, streamlined it, and now these oven-roasted meatballs with sauce and tossed spaghetti come together in under an hour — science-backed deliciousness.
There’s a lot of flexibility with the meat. A classic blend uses pork, beef, and veal; I usually do half beef, half pork. I’ve also made these with ground turkey (preferably mixed with some dark meat) — they’ll be a touch softer (you might reduce the milk by a tablespoon) but still tasty. To make this dairy-free, skip the parmesan and swap the milk for water. For extra richness use ricotta instead of milk. You could fold in finely chopped prosciutto, or use half sausage meat for extra depth. If you prefer fresh onion instead of onion powder, use 1 tablespoon finely grated onion. To make breadcrumbs at home, pulse stale bread until you have 2/3 cup instead of the 1/2 cup called for.
If you like a saucier dish, add another 28-ounce can (or a 15-ounce can) of tomatoes and boost the seasonings. I usually prefer crushed tomatoes for this — a not-quite-smooth puree that clings to the pasta and meatballs. If only whole or diced tomatoes are available, mash or puree them a bit and stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste to thicken. If you have basil, add a sprig to the sauce while the meatballs cook, then remove it before serving.
1 pound ground meat (see notes above for mix suggestions)
1/2 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk, any kind
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus more to serve
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more to serve
2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt, divided
Red pepper flakes and/or freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 large eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 pound dried spaghetti
Method
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and give it a light spray of nonstick oil.
In a large bowl combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs, and one-third of the minced garlic. Mash everything together with a fork or potato masher until evenly mixed. With wet hands if needed, shape the mixture into roughly 2-inch meatballs (I use a 3-tablespoon scoop). Arrange them on the prepared tray and roast for about 12 minutes, until cooked through (test by cutting one in half).
While the meatballs roast, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until it’s about one minute shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
In a deep sauté pan or wide saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Add the remaining two-thirds of the garlic and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes, and let them sizzle until the garlic is golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes (beware splatter!) and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally — longer is fine if your meatballs aren’t ready yet.
Transfer the roasted meatballs into the simmering sauce and stir so they’re coated. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the meatballs gently simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes. If you’re not serving immediately, you can remove them from the heat and set aside.
To finish and serve: Return the drained spaghetti to its empty cooking pot. Ladle a few spoonfuls of the meatball sauce over the pasta, add half the reserved pasta water, and cook over high heat for about 1 minute, tossing continuously so the sauce clings to the noodles. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen. Transfer the spaghetti to a large serving bowl (spin the bowl as you lower the noodles to create neat nests if you like), top with the meatballs and their sauce, garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated cheese, and serve immediately. Don’t wait — eat it now.
