Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs

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This IS NOT your typical spaghetti & meatballs!

Growing up, this was definitely my most requested meal.  The silky, buttery noodles covered in a rich, hearty tomato sauce, topped off with garlicky, herbaceous morsels of meat.  The smell of this delicious sauce would fill the house for hours and I would wait in anticipation for my chance to taste it.  Through the years, I tried many versions of this classic, but none could ever take the place of my mother’s.

So, what makes this so different and so amazing?  Red wine & jalapenos!  Sounds strange, I know, but something beautiful happens from the sweetness of the wine and the subtle heat of the jalapenos.  If you like a little spice and a new take on one of everyone’s favorite comfort foods, this is the recipe for you.  If you don’t like your sauce with a kick, don’t hesitate to use fewer jalapenos.

It’s so simple to make for a quiet Sunday dinner and perfect for bigger get-together’s as well.  Once everything is in the pot you leave it alone for hours until ready to serve.

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The meatballs filled with oregano, Italian parsley, basil and parmesan are the icing on this delectable bowl of goodness.   I like to use ground turkey instead of the usual ground beef, pork or veal combinations.  It makes me feel less guilty about indulging and still has a great taste.  Baking them keeps them moist and tender not to mention it’s healthier than frying them in oil.  This really helps cut down on the fat when you’re loading your leftover meatballs into a baguette and covering them in mozzarella cheese.  You see, it’s all for the greater good.

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The best thing about spaghetti and meatballs, is how amazing the sauce tastes on the second day.  It hits a whole new level where you literally find yourself sticking a loaf of bread in a Tupperware container directly out of the refrigerator.  For the more refined, you can put aside some meatballs to make a pizza or use the sauce for chicken parmesan.  It also freezes amazingly well for the next time you don’t feel like cooking.

So, pour yourself a glass of Chianti and let the crock pot do the work!

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Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
Makes 4 Servings

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients

  • 3/4 large yellow onion, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 (Approximately 2 cups) bottle of Chianti (or whatever red wine you prefer to cook with)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 Tablespoon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 12 pickled jalapeno slices (use less or omit altogether depending on your preference)
  • 1 rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese

Meatball Ingredients

  • 1/4 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons parmesan, grated
  • 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/4 Tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 /4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Turn on slow cooker and set it to low.  Pour cans of crushed tomatoes directly into the pot.  In a mixing bowl, stir cans of tomato paste with water and mix well.  Add mixture to the crushed tomatoes.  Pour the wine into the tomatoes and stir until combined.  Season with salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano.  Toss in jalapeno slices and parmesan rind and stir so that everything is incorporated.

For a shortcut, sauté the onion and garlic for the sauce and meatballs at the same  time.  Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high.  Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Once cooked, add 2/3 of the mixture to the sauce and reserve the rest for the meatballs.  Give the sauce one final stir and cover with the lid.

In a bowl, mix the ground turkey with the fresh basil, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, beaten egg, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  Once cooled, add the remaining sautéed onion and garlic to the meat.  Combine everything but don’t over mix.

Roll meat into 12 balls a little larger than a ping-pong ball.  Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish and cook in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until a nice crust forms on top.  When they’re finished baking, add them one at a time to the tomato sauce.  Recover and continue to cook on low for another 3 hours.

Serve with your favorite spaghetti or pasta.  I like to use Jerusalem artichoke pasta for something a little lighter.  It comes the closest to regular pasta out of all the alternative flour ones I’ve tried.