Skillet Spaghetti with Meatballs
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 4, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Meatballs
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters5 tablespoons milk ½ pound 85 percent lean ground beef ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 1 large egg 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oilPasta and Sauce
3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, mincedSalt 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)¼ teaspoon sugar 2 cups water 12 ounces thin spaghetti or spaghettini, broken in halfGround black pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for servingBefore You Begin
Be sure to simmer the tomatoes gently in step 4 or the sauce will become too thick. The meatballs can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking; do not cook the meatballs until you are ready to make the sauce.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the bread and milk to a paste in a large bowl. Add the beef, sausage, Parmesan parsley, egg, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly to combine. Pinch off 2-tablespoon-sized pieces of meat mixture and roll firmly into balls; you should have 16 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs and brown well on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover to warm, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.
- Pour off any fat left in the skillet, add 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the processed tomatoes and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, then add the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs, coat them with sauce, and let them warm through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the sauce and pasta
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Meatballs
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
5 tablespoons milk
½ pound 85 percent lean ground beef
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta and Sauce
3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
12 ounces thin spaghetti or spaghettini, broken in half
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Ingredients
Meatballs
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
5 tablespoons milk
½ pound 85 percent lean ground beef
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta and Sauce
3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
12 ounces thin spaghetti or spaghettini, broken in half
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Ingredients
Meatballs
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
5 tablespoons milk
½ pound 85 percent lean ground beef
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta and Sauce
3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
12 ounces thin spaghetti or spaghettini, broken in half
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Why This Recipe Works
For our skillet spaghetti with meatballs recipe we settled on fresh-tasting whole peeled tomatoes, which we pulsed briefly in the food processor to achieve a near-smooth consistency. After simmering the sauce, we added the water and pasta—we liked thin spaghetti best. We now had a finished skillet pasta recipe that was perfectly sauced; it was neither thick and pasty nor runny on the plate. We then created a simple meatball mixture made with a combination of ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, moistened bread, and Parmesan cheese. Since this wouldn’t be a long-simmering sauce that we could cook the meatballs in, we browned them in the skillet, which had the benefit of creating a flavorful base for our sauce.
Before You Begin
Be sure to simmer the tomatoes gently in step 4 or the sauce will become too thick. The meatballs can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking; do not cook the meatballs until you are ready to make the sauce.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the bread and milk to a paste in a large bowl. Add the beef, sausage, Parmesan parsley, egg, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly to combine. Pinch off 2-tablespoon-sized pieces of meat mixture and roll firmly into balls; you should have 16 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs and brown well on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover to warm, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.
- Pour off any fat left in the skillet, add 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the processed tomatoes and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, then add the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs, coat them with sauce, and let them warm through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the sauce and pasta
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