Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is similar to Spaghetti and Gravy, but just different enough to be special. Making meatballs takes a little more work than is required for gravy, but the effort is worth it. While you can buy pre-made and pre-cooked meatballs, freshly made meatballs are so much better. So take the time to make them from scratch. You won't regret it.

Mom had two different recipes for meatballs. When I made this recipe, I used some aspects from both recipes, which appear below. The recipe allows for plenty of variations that you can easily adopt to your preferred taste. Both of Mom's recipes called for using ground beef, which I used here, but you could also use ground turkey or Italian sausage. The seasonings are fairly basic: onion, garlic, oregano, and basil. Other seasonings, such as rosemary, could provide a different flavor. I used canned tomatoes, but fresh tomatoes would be delicious. Because these meatballs are so good, I know that I will make this recipe again.

Spaghetti and Meatballs 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• cooked spaghetti

Combine meat, bread crumbs, cheese, milk, egg, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. basil, 1 Tbsp. garlic. Form into meatballs and place on baking pan. Brown meatballs in oven at 425 for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, the remaining garlic and onion in the oil. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix in the remaining oregano and basil. Place meatballs in the sauce, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over spaghetti. Enjoy!