Spaghetti and Meatballs
with Italian house salad
Ingredients
- Cucumber, medium - 1, cubed
- Tomatoes, medium - 1, chopped
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Dijon mustard - 1 tsp
- Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
- Salad greens - 4 oz
- Ham / prosciutto - 1/4 lb, chopped
- Onion - 1/2, grated
- Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
- Ground beef - 1 1/2 lb
- Egg - 1
- Panko breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup
- Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup + more for serving, grated
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Spaghetti - 3/4 lb
- Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
- Cooking oil - 2 Tbsp
- Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g can) - 1 can
- Basil - 1 sprig, leaves
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Ham / Onion / Garlic - Prep as directed. For onion, slice in half and grate against a box grater. Don't worry if you get a lot of liquids.
- Make meatballs - Using your hands, mix together ground beef with ham, onion, egg, breadcrumbs / panko, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Roll into 1 1/2 (3.75 cm) inch meatballs. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- For salad: Cucumber / Tomatoes - Prep as directed
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Make
- Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt heavily (that water should taste like the ocean!) and add spaghetti. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Drain and toss with 2 tbs. (30 ml) of olive oil. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and meatballs to heated oil. Sear for 3 minutes, and then flip them all over.
- Add in crushed tomatoes and garlic. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cook until meatballs are done, 10 to 12 minutes.
- While meatballs are cooking, whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. For more vinaigrette ideas, check out this video.
- Once meatballs are done cooking, turn off heat, and add in basil leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and / or a sweetener. Spoon meatballs and sauce over spaghetti and serve with more parmesan and basil leaves.
- Toss vinaigrette with greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Enjoy with your pasta!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
21 reviews
I liked this way of making meatballs (on the stovetop) as it's a lot faster than cooking them in the oven. Overall this meal has a nice blend of taste and ease of prep.
Really yummy. Never made meatballs in my life. Even my 5 year old ate some and he doesn't really eat meat. Make sure you have abig enough pan though, and I made sure to made mine 1" round.
So good! The prosciutto really gives it good flavor. Used spaghetti made from rice and corn rather than wheat - very good.