Cooking Therapy

A traditional meal that is enjoyable to not only eat, but to cook is Spaghetti and Meatballs. It is even better when you make the sauce and meatballs yourself. Making the meatballs from scratch will have you feeling like a little kid again taking part in arts and crafts; you mix all the ingredients together, and mold them into perfect round, meaty balls. This can be a fun activity you can do with anyone, or even by yourself with some music playing in the background and a full-bodied wine in a glass. It is not a time consuming recipe and you do not have to prep it all day like you thought you would have. In fact, it is quite simply and will have you comparing your meatballs and sauce to that of an Italian grandmother’s. Try yours today and see how tasty it is! Buon appetito!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour (20 minutes if using readymade sauce)

Serves 6

Ingredients

1-pound lean ground beef

1-pound ground pork

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

¼ cup grated Romano cheese

½ cup of stale bread, crumbled

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

Kosher salt

Black pepper

1 package of spaghetti or pasta of preference

Canola oil for frying

For the sauce (you can also use store bought if you like)

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ cup of finely chopped basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oregano

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add the ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, bread, Romano cheese, parsley, salt and pepper, and the eggs. Add two tablespoons of olive oil
• Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until it forms a consistency similar to molding clay. Shape the meatballs into the size you want. The larger the meatballs, the longer they take to cook. The size should be between a golf ball and baseball
• 
• In a large frying pan, add the canola oil and heat on a high flame. To check when it’s ready, sprinkle a little bit of flour in the oil. If it sizzles and melts away, the oil is ready
• While the oil is heating up, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, drizzle olive oil and add the onions, cooking over a medium high heat. Once the onions have softened and become fragrant, add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and onions translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bring to a simmer and cover stirring occasionally until it thickens. While the sauce is simmering, cook the meatballs
• Add the ball carefully in, one at a time. Cook each side for about 5-7 minutes or until side begins to brown. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, flip the meatball over so the other side gets cooked. Remove, strain, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate
• While the meatballs are straining in the plate and the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta
• Add hot water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add salt and stir. Add the pasta and cook based on instructions on box
• Once past has become al dente, strain.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir
• Plate the pasta and add the meatballs and sauce on top
• Add some grated cheese and garnish with some parsley
• Enjoy!