Martha Stewart Spaghetti and Meatballs

Erin,

I love all things Martha Stewart. S got me a subscription to her  magazine a few months back and I anxiously anticipate its arrival every month. Although I already have a "go-to" spaghetti recipe, when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. It definitely wasn't the most simple recipe, (its Martha Stewart, duh!), but it was totally worth it. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday evening. Picture courtesy of Martha Stewart ;)

Classic Tomato Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 (28-ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes in their juices, chopped
Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking 5 minutes more.

2. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning. Season with salt, if desired. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Meatball Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds 80 percent lean ground beef

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

4 cups Classic Tomato Sauc

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle olive oil into a 9-by 13-inch baking dish; using your hand, evenly coat entire surface. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together beef, ricotta, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red-pepper flakes, and fennel until fully incorporated. Roll mixture into firmly packed 1 1/2-inch balls.

3. Place meatballs in prepared baking dish, taking care to line them up snugly so that they are touching one another in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. Transfer baking dish to oven. Bake until meatballs are firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 165 degrees. (About 15-20 minutes)

4. Remove meatballs from oven and carefully drain excess grease from pan. Pour heated sauce over meatballs and return to oven; cook for 15 minutes more. Serve with spaghetti noodles :)