Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Comfort Food: Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

My neighbors are Italian-Americans from New York City. Those two can cook like nobody’s business. Most Italian-Americans can cook like nobody’s business. Ten pounds may have found its way to my body alone on their homemade desserts and cookies. Not alone from their spaghetti and meatballs.

Bob who’s family is originally from Sicily – and yes I know most Sicilians and Italians will agree that Sicily isn’t really Italy – tells stories of Sunday dinners. Coming back from church, the smells of tomato sauce simmering on the stove came from apartment’s kitchen window. Sunday dinner was tomato sauce with sausages, meatballs, and oxtails simmered all day to perfection.

To me, spaghetti and meatballs are the ultimate comfort food even though I am not Italian-American. I love making it. It is a process of love. Forming the meatballs. Making the sauce. The smell of it all on the stove. The look of it on the plate. Lastly, the taste of complete satisfaction. You will overeat when you make this. And that’s OK.

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipes

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients 

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-6 stems fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 4-6 stems fresh oregano
  • 2-4 stems fresh rosemary
  • 2-4 stems fresh basil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Preparation

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

  • Add ¼ cup olive oil to a 10-inch high sided sauté pan or a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil and cooking until the herbs become crisp.
  • Remove the herbs and discard.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the oil cooking until the onions are transparent.
  • Add diced tomatoes.
  • Season with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
  • Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thicken, stirring occasionally.

Italian Meatballs

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

 

  • Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic powder, basil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add a little bit of water.
  • Mix until well blended.
  • Form into 1.5 inches in diameter.
  • Set aside and allow them to rest.
  • Heat oil in large pan.
  • Brown meatballs on all sides.
  • Place in tomato sauce allowing them to cook through.

 

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mama Mia! Italian American Sunday Gravy

Mama Mia! Italian American Sunday Gravy

Let’s make some Sunday Gravy!

 

Mama Mia! Cue some Dean Martin music. Turn on Moonstruck!

For years I’ve had this recipe for traditional Italian-American tomato gravy (or sauce). It has traveled with me through 3 moves in my well-worn recipe binder. I clipped it out of the New York Times Food section in 2002 with all the good intentions of making it. The recipe accompanied an article about traditional Italian-American food made by a cook in a New York Fire Department.

Today was the day I decided it was time to make this recipe for Sunday Gravy. There is a reason it is called Sunday Gravy; because, it can not be rushed. The meatballs are made from scratch as well as the tomato sauce then it is simmered on the stove for a good part of the day or at least it should be in my book.

Speaking of gravy… Italian-Americans friends… does anyone know why it is called gravy not sauce? Just wondering, but back to making this Sunday dinner.

Let’s make the Sunday Gravy now…

 

Onions and garlic are the base for a great Sunday Gravy

I cried my eyes out chopping lots of onions and garlic. I’ve never met an onion I don’t cry to… And my hands still have a hint of garlic.

 

I love sharing my passion for cooking with my son who is almost 5-years old. It is something we both can do together. He enjoys it, too.

 

I used “meatloaf” mix, which is beef, pork, and veal combined. Add in the seasoning, eggs, and water and we’re ready to mix.

My son helps me by putting in the seasoning, but he really loves the mixing part. He molded the meatballs.

 

He did a pretty good job forming the meatballs… Pssst… I did help him a little.

 

Browning the sausages and meatballs in the softened onions and garlic. The house was starting to smell wonderful!

Tomatoes and spices are in! Now for it to simmer. I let it simmer for over six hours allowing the flavors to blend.

And by the time it was dinner-time, the aroma was overwhelming… mouth-watering…

 

Heaven! It was worth all of the work! Really. The recipe feeds a whole fire house so be prepared to either invite a crowd over or have a couple of dinners and lunchs out of it. And it is only going to get better with time.

Buon Appetito! E mangiare!

After all, I can say that being a Momma now! So eat up!

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