Spaghetti Meatballs Americas Test Kitchen Food

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Red Sauce: Heat a straight-sided skillet over medium. Swirl in oil; add onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Transfer one-third of onion mixture to a bowl and reserve for meatballs. Add tomatoes to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meatballs: While sauce simmers, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and most of moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with reserved onion mixture; let cool slightly.
• Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches below heating element. Stir breadcrumbs and milk into mushroom mixture until milk is absorbed. Add cheese, parsley, oregano, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and gently fold with your hands until evenly combined (don't overwork, or meatballs will be tough). Use an ice cream scoop, or roll heaping tablespoons between dampened palms, to form thirty 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet brushed with oil. Broil, undisturbed, until browned on top, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer meatballs to skillet with red sauce. Simmer, stirring gently, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Serve, topped with meatballs, more sauce, cheese, red-pepper flakes, and parsley.

THE BEST SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Whisk together the panko, Parmesan, parsley, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in the cream.
• Combine the beef, pork and veal in a large bowl. Pull the ground meat apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the meat without compacting it until thoroughly mixed and no clumps remain. Add the panko mixture to the meat and use the same pulling technique to mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
• Lightly oil your hands. Scoop out portions of the meat mixture with a 1/4-cup measuring cup or large ice cream scoop; roll the meat gently between your hands into balls. Arrange the balls on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning and rolling occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total; remove to a plate. The meatballs will not be cooked through; they will finish cooking in the sauce. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste is brick red, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and basil to the sauce, smashing and breaking up the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon. Bring the sauce just to a boil, and then add the meatballs with any accumulated juices. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain well.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Discard the basil and season with salt.
• Add the pasta to the sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving platter and top with the meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

SPAGHETTI WITH TURKEY-PESTO MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Gently mix turkey, pesto, bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl using hands until uniform.
• Roll mixture into eighteen 1 1/2 inch meatballs.
• Lay meatballs on large plate, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Pulse 2 cans diced tomatoes in food processor until mostly smooth, about 12 pulses; set aside.
• Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking.
• Brown meatballs well on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
• Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, 5-7 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.
• Stir in processed tomatoes and remaining 1 can diced tomatoes.
• Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and simmer gently until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
• Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
• Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
• Add several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) to pasta and toss to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency.
• Divide pasta among individual bowls.
• Top each bowl with remaining sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

SPAGHETTI WITH TURKEY-PESTO MEATBALLS - ATK

Steps:

• Gently mix turkey, pesto, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl using hands until uniform. Shape mixture into 16-18 meatballs.
• Pulse 2 cans diced tomatoes (reserve the 3rd can for Step 5) in food processor until mostly smooth; set aside.
• Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Brown meatballs well on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
• Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in processed tomatoes and remaining 1 can diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. (I add a pinch of sugar at this point.).
• Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and simmer gently until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
• Add several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) to pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency.
• Divide pasta among individual bowls. Top each bowl with remaining sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with basil and Parmesan cheese. .