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  • Calabrian Style Meatballs Simmered in a Butter-Onion Tomato Sauce

    1 vote
    Calabrian Style Meatballs Simmered in a Butter-Onion Tomato Sauce
    Prep: 30 min Cook: 1+ hours Servings: 6
    by For the Love of Italian Cooking
    10 recipes
    >
    The best way to describe this dish is a southern rustic meatball meets a sassy northern sauce. Who would have ever thought that they would be a perfect match made in heaven?

    Ingredients

    • Sauce:
    • 2x 28 oz (800 g) pureed tomato sauce (or pomodoro passato)
    • 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter
    • 2 medium onions (or 1 large), peeled and halved through the root
    • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1/2 tsp sugar for acidity (if necessary)
    • Meatballs:
    • 1 cup (100 g) fresh white bread crumbs
    • 8 tbsp milk
    • 8 oz. (250 g) ground beef
    • 8 oz. (250 g) ground pork
    • 1 cup (100 g) grated parmesan (Grana Padano or Romano Pecorino also work well)
    • 1/3 cup (15 g) finely chopped Italian parsley
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or very finely minced
    • Pasta and Cheese:
    • 1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
    • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (Grana Padano or Romano Pecorino can also be used)

    Directions

    1. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Swirl about 3/4 cup (200 ml) water in the cans and add to sauce mixture. Simmer over medium heat while preparing the meatballs (about 20-30 minutes, depending on quick you are).
    2. Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl, mixing well with your hands. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out all the meat mixture first, and then roll them out (you'll 20-24 pieces).
    3. Place them into the sauce, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, take out the meatballs and place them in a serving bowl or platter, and set aside. Taste the sauce, if it tastes acidic, then adjust with a bit of sugar.
    4. After sauce is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook spaghetti according to package instructions, and drain. Add pasta to sauce in pot and toss to coat. Divide pasta among 6 plates and top each serving with meatballs (about 4 each). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

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