Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs for a Crowd
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 24, 2012
Time
3¼ hours
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
Meatballs
2 ¼ cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs 1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)3 large eggs, lightly beaten2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef 1 pound ground pork 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold waterTable salt and ground black pepperSauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 ½ cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon dried oregano 6 cups tomato juice (bottled)3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 6 tablespoons dry white wine Table salt and ground black pepper 3 pounds spaghetti ½ cup minced fresh basil leaves 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves Granulated sugar Parmesan cheese, grated, for servingBefore You Begin
One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4. For instructions on how to cook the pasta in less water, see Lots of Pasta, Less Water (related). It's unnecessary to temp the meatballs because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (For more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2¼ cups panko bread crumbs and 1½ cups buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin over 3 tablespoons cold water in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften gelatin.
- Add 3 lightly beaten large eggs, 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, 6 ounces finely chopped prosciutto, 1½ cups grated Parmesan, 6 tablespoons minced parsley, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and softened gelatin mixture to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces) and place on wire rack. Repeat shaping remaining mixture, evenly spacing meatballs on racks, to form approximately 40 meatballs. Roast, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until meatballs are browned, about 30 minutes.
- While meatballs roast, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1½ cups grated onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 6 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 6 cups tomato juice, 3 cans crushed tomatoes, 6 tablespoons white wine, 1½ teaspoons table salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce. Cover pot and return to oven on lower-middle rack. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add 3 pounds spaghetti and 2 tablespoons table salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot.
- Stir ½ cup minced basil and 3 tablespoons minced parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the sauce
to serve
Time
3¼ hoursYield
Serves 12Ingredients
Meatballs
2 ¼ cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Table salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups tomato juice (bottled)
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds spaghetti
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Granulated sugar
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatballs
2 ¼ cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Table salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups tomato juice (bottled)
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds spaghetti
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Granulated sugar
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatballs
2 ¼ cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Table salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups tomato juice (bottled)
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds spaghetti
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Granulated sugar
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Roasting our meatballs on a wire rack for even browning made our recipe faster and cleaner. Adding some powdered gelatin to our meatball mix of lean ground chuck and ground pork served to plump the meatballs and lent them a soft richness. Prosciutto gave the meatballs extra meatiness, and a panade, which we made with panko, kept the meat moist and prevented it from getting tough. To create a rich, flavorful sauce, we braised the meatballs in marinara sauce for about an hour. And to make sure the sauce didn’t over-reduce, we swapped half of the crushed tomatoes in our marinara recipe for an equal portion of tomato juice.
Before You Begin
One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4. For instructions on how to cook the pasta in less water, see Lots of Pasta, Less Water (related). It's unnecessary to temp the meatballs because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (For more information on food safety, check out this guide.)
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2¼ cups panko bread crumbs and 1½ cups buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin over 3 tablespoons cold water in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften gelatin.
- Add 3 lightly beaten large eggs, 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, 6 ounces finely chopped prosciutto, 1½ cups grated Parmesan, 6 tablespoons minced parsley, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and softened gelatin mixture to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces) and place on wire rack. Repeat shaping remaining mixture, evenly spacing meatballs on racks, to form approximately 40 meatballs. Roast, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until meatballs are browned, about 30 minutes.
- While meatballs roast, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1½ cups grated onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 6 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 6 cups tomato juice, 3 cans crushed tomatoes, 6 tablespoons white wine, 1½ teaspoons table salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce. Cover pot and return to oven on lower-middle rack. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add 3 pounds spaghetti and 2 tablespoons table salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot.
- Stir ½ cup minced basil and 3 tablespoons minced parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the sauce
to serve
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