Spaghetti/Meatballs

Oven roast your garlic.
Use fresh herbs.

I'm not above dry seasonings, but fresh basil is something I try to use when I make spaghetti

quote:

---

any tips or recommendations on things to add?

---

For your canned tomatoes, only use San Marzano. The can will say so. Most Cento items are San Marzano.. or this brand:




I second using fresh herbs. If using fresh, throw them in once everything has been added (tomatoes and all). For something like basil, throw in at the end. Cooking basil for too long diminishes the flavor.

If you only have dried herbs, saute them with your onions/garlic/etc. at the beginning. This sweats them and extracts their flavors.

quote:

---

 throwing them directly into the sauce

---

I do this too. No need to even brown them. I add parmesan to my meatballs too.

I always bake mine or pan fry them. Keep me from having to skim beef fat from the top of my sauce.


I only use Cento tomatoes and crush them myself. Crushed tomatoes are the not so great tomatos that have bad parts cut off and sent to the chopper.

soften a chopped onion in olive oil
add garlic and a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flakes
add a small can of tomato paste, fry it for a minute or so
add 2 big cans whole tomatoes, crushed by hand over the pot and all the juice from the cans
add salt and a big pinch of sugar
add fresh basil and oregano
add a bit of water if too thick
let simmer for an hour or so
taste for salt/sugar

add browned meatballs about 10 mins before serving

I'm a big fan of using all ground veal for the meat part of the meatball. Makes them really rich.

I also like adding in parmesan cheese to the mix along with a splash of milk. I use breadcrumbs along with salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning herb mix. I've never used fresh basil before so no idea how that will work. I'm a big fan of fresh basil in the marinara sauce so I'm not against trying it in the meatballs. I would tear it up into pretty small pieces though.

Roll lightly in flour and fry to brown them. Let them finish in the sauce. I like to make them smaller than the size of a golf ball.

quote:

---

any tips or recommendations on things to add?

---

Instead of breadcrumbs, use white bread soaked in milk. Also use 1/3 veal, 1/3 ground pork, 1/3 chuck. Fry meatballs in cast iron before going into the oven.

For the sauce I have always been a fan of browning the tomato paste. I think it gives it a wonderful flavor and nice dark color.

quote:

---

Martini

---

Were you at Becks NYE?

Also.. I find that spaghetti binds together much more when you put some finished noodles and ladle some sauce into a skillet for a quick heat together. Hit it with a small splash of pasta water which gets it to adhere to the noodles, simmer together for a bit, and (chefs swear by this part) finish it with a pat of butter.

Simply pouring finished sauce on top of cooked noodles in your plate will never stick together. You'll just have to get both on your fork for each bite. Some people don't mind that, but I like the noodles and sauce as combined together as they can be.