Spaghetti and Meatballs

I made the meatballs for my small group to have as an appetizer. They are pretty good to serve like this and sometimes I serve them with sliced french bread pieces. I make just the meatball portion of this recipe and grab a jar of my favorite canned sauce to serve over them. I have gotten lots of rave reviews (even though it is the quick and easy way to make them). I usually make them the night before, and drain the grease, and put them back in the serving dish, pour the sauce over them, and all I have to do is pop them back in the oven until they are warm and ready to serve.

It is well worth it to make the sauce for a dinner for a special someone!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti (or any other noodle you prefer)
• Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground hamburger meat
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (this has to be fresh for the best)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (we love garlic in this household)
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• A tablespoon of basil (you could also use fresh, but I rarely have it on hand)
• A tablespoon of sugar to sweeten the sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to aldente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread. Enjoy!