Spaghetti with Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs should be in everyone's repertoire. For some of us, this dish is the ultimate comfort food. Today, I'm sharing my take on this dinner classic. 

It's a fairly simple dish to make but it does require some time to prep and if you make the sauce from scratch, it would take even longer but I totally recommend you to do it because it makes the difference. 

My son Lucas had this for the first time and he loved it. I think it's universal, kids love this dish and I can't blame them. What's not to love? Garlic, Parmesan cheese, a great sauce. I think this dish is one of the things he will remember and trigger his childhood memories when he grows older.   

Ingredients:

The Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 md onion, chopped

2 garlic clove, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon dry oregano

2 cups of water

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

2 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

The Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef 

1/2 pound ground pork

1 egg, beaten

3 garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/8 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

For Serving:

Parsley, chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, except the olive oil, and combine them well (using your hands is best) Form the mixture into about 2-inch meatballs. Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a 12 inch skillet. Heat the oil and brown the meatballs on all sides, don't overcrowd the pan, brown them in batches. Remove the meatballs to a plate and cover them. For the sauce, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves water, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and roughly puree the sauce with a hand blender. Cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, cover and cook for 25 minutes more. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and serve with Parmesan cheese and parsley.