another spaghetti & meatballs meal!

spaghetti & meatballs. this recipe is adapted from the recipe given on the martha stewart show. these meatballs are ultra tender and they had a green hue to them due to the large amount of basil & parsley - i liked that. i used ground turkey that is sold in the freezer section of whole foods, it’s a mix of white & dark meat. i used ½ cup less of the parm cheese and quinoa spaghetti. this is a memorable meal. make it!
 

Grandma Maroni's Meatballs and Sauce
 

you'll need:

Olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck (i used ground turkey)
1 ½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (i used 1 cup)
1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (i used sprouted bread to make crumbs)
3 large eggs
¼ cup milk
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ small onion, grated
3 tablespoons minced garlic
coarse salt
1 pound spaghetti (i used quinoa spaghetti)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

you'll do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together beef (turkey), cheese, 1 cup breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, herbs, onion, and garlic; season with salt. If mixture seems too loose, mix in remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs as necessary.

Roll meat mixture into 2 ½-ounce balls; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until beef is cooked through and lightly browned, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to package directions; Drain.

Heat sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Transfer meatballs to sauce and cook for at least 15 minutes. Transfer meat balls and 1 cup of sauce to a bowl and set aside. Remove remaining sauce from heat. Stir in basil and add drained spaghetti; toss to combine. Transfer spaghetti to a large serving platter; top with meatballs and reserved sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.

Maroni's Tomato Sauce

you'll need:

⅓ cup olive oil
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

you'll do:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.
Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer; let simmer for 20 minutes.