Spaghetti & Meatballs

 My spaghetti illustration.  Prismacolor pencil on vellum Bristol board.

I was chatting with my sister online yesterday at about dinner time. She was wondering what to make for dinner. I suggested spaghetti. She said that her kids liked the noodles with butter and cheese but they didn't really care for the tomato and meat part. I thought they might eat the sauce and meatballs if they helped cook. The meatballs are fun to make when you use a small ice cream scoop to make them and because they are baked they don't fall apart like when you brown them in a frying pan.
I don't know. It might get them to eat the good part.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Tomato Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil                        

1 small onion, chopped                       

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T. Italian Seasoning

3-4 cans (14.5 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes (3-4 cans depends on how much sauce you want.)

1/2 cup red or purple grape juice, or red wine           

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes until soft.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute' for 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and grape juice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.  Add the meatballs to cook through, about 15 minutes.  Serve the sauce and meatballs over whole grain spaghetti.  Top with Parmesan cheese.

This sauce freezes well.  I have substituted cranberry-raspberry juice for the grape juice and that works too.

 

Meatballs:

2 lbs. lean ground turkey

2 T. Balsamic vinegar

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce

1 large egg            

1 T. minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes              

1 T. parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped, fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup Parmesan cheeses (The kind in the plastic bottle is OK. Make sure it 100% real cheese.) 

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 slices of whole wheat bread made into crumbs                                         

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper              

1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.* Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.**  Place the meatballs in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, or until they start to brown.  They will not be cooked through at this point.  Place the meatballs in the prepared sauce and cook on low heat for 30 more minutes. Serve as directed above.
note: The meatballs freeze well with or without the sauce.  They need to be cooked thoroughly before freezing.

*I mix it all in my Kitchenaid mixer.  It's a lot less work and less mess than doing it by hand.
**I form the meatballs with a small ice cream scoop.