Tender, flavorful meatballs served over pasta with a long-simmered marinara sauce make a great dinner for company or for family. To build a sauce with a long-simmered flavor, we started by sautéing onions
and then added a healthy dose of garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Reserving half of this mixture to season the meatballs streamlined our recipe. With tomato paste for richness and red wine to deglaze the pan, we had a strong flavor foundation for our sauce. Next, we decided to use canned crushed tomatoes for their ease and for their packing liquid, which prevented the sauce from overreducing during the reheat. For hearty meatballs, we combined 80 percent lean ground beef with boldly flavored sweet Italian sausage. This lean mixture held its shape well, but to compensate for the decreased amount of fat, we added a panade of sandwich bread and milk. This kept the meat moist and prevented it from getting tough. To boost the flavor further, a good dose of Parmesan and parsley did the trick. A couple eggs were also important for texture and flavor; their rich fats and emulsifiers added moistness, richness, and structure to our meatballs. For a golden-brown crust without the hassle of frying, we baked our meatballs on baking sheets in a superhot oven.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 onions, chopped fine
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup water
- 4 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
- 4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 large eggs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2½ pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck
- 2 pounds spaghetti
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For the Sauce
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to bowl; set aside for meatballs.
- Stir tomato paste into onion mixture left in pot and cook over medium high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and tomatoes and simmer over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 minutes to 1 hour. For the Meatballs and Pasta
- Meanwhile, line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 475 degrees. Mash bread and milk together in large bowl until smooth. Mix in reserved onion mixture, sausage, Parmesan, parsley, eggs, garlic, and salt. Add beef and knead with your hands until well combined. Shape meat mixture into 30 meatballs (about ¼ cup each) and place on prepared sheets, spaced evenly apart.
- Roast meatballs until well browned, about 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer meatballs to pot with sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, bring 8 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add several spoonfuls of sauce (without meatballs) and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve pasta with remaining sauce and meatballs.