Sausage Meatballs and Spaghetti
By Annie PetitoPublished on July 9, 2015
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Meatballs
½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon baking soda 4 teaspoons water 12 ounces ground pork 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch pieces⅓ cup heavy cream ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving2 large egg yolks 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into 1-inch piecesTomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce Salt 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil1 pound spaghetti
Before You Begin
The fennel seeds can be coarsely ground in a spice grinder or using the bottom of a heavy skillet. Use a light touch when rolling the meatballs to prevent them from being dense. To portion the meatballs, use 2 tablespoons or a #30 scoop, loosely filled, of the pork mixture. Our preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray.
- Dissolve salt and baking soda in water in large bowl. Add pork, fold gently to combine, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Pulse bread, cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, pepper, and pepper flakes in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pork mixture (do not wash out bowl) and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 5 pulses.
- Transfer half of pork mixture to now-empty large bowl. Add sausage to processor and pulse until just combined, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer sausage-pork mixture to bowl with pork mixture. Using your hands, gently fold together until mixture is just combined.
- With your wet hands, lightly shape mixture into 1 3/4-inch round meatballs (about 1 ounce each); you should have about 24 meatballs. Arrange meatballs, evenly spaced, on prepared wire rack and bake until browned, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- While meatballs bake, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste.
- Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, turning them occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Add 1/2 cup sauce and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Transfer pasta to large serving platter and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the tomato sauce
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Meatballs
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons water
12 ounces ground pork
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 large egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into 1-inch pieces
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 pound spaghetti
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatballs
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons water
12 ounces ground pork
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 large egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into 1-inch pieces
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 pound spaghetti
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatballs
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons water
12 ounces ground pork
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 large egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into 1-inch pieces
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 pound spaghetti
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to use commercial Italian sausage to create meatballs that were full of sausage flavor but still fork-tender. To temper the springy texture that sausage can have, we add a combination of ground pork, brined with baking soda and salt to help the meat retain juices and appear more tender, and a panade made with heavy cream instead of milk; the extra fat helps ensure moist and tender meat. Pulsing the meat mixture in a food processor, rather than mixing it by hand, ensures that it is thoroughly mixed without being overworked. To really make the flavors of Italian sausage shine, we add a hefty dose of the spices already present in the meat. Baking the meatballs in a hot oven lets you quickly brown them in a single batch, and a simple, bright tomato sauce pairs well with the richness of the meatballs.
Before You Begin
The fennel seeds can be coarsely ground in a spice grinder or using the bottom of a heavy skillet. Use a light touch when rolling the meatballs to prevent them from being dense. To portion the meatballs, use 2 tablespoons or a #30 scoop, loosely filled, of the pork mixture. Our preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray.
- Dissolve salt and baking soda in water in large bowl. Add pork, fold gently to combine, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Pulse bread, cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, pepper, and pepper flakes in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pork mixture (do not wash out bowl) and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 5 pulses.
- Transfer half of pork mixture to now-empty large bowl. Add sausage to processor and pulse until just combined, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer sausage-pork mixture to bowl with pork mixture. Using your hands, gently fold together until mixture is just combined.
- With your wet hands, lightly shape mixture into 1 3/4-inch round meatballs (about 1 ounce each); you should have about 24 meatballs. Arrange meatballs, evenly spaced, on prepared wire rack and bake until browned, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- While meatballs bake, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste.
- Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, turning them occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Add 1/2 cup sauce and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Transfer pasta to large serving platter and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
for the meatballs
for the tomato sauce
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