| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Three 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, crushed with hands
- 2 large yellow onions, large diced (about 3 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, small diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1/2 cup couscous
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus shaved Parmesan for garnish
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- Kosher salt
- 1 bottle red wine, preferably Chianti
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- For the sauce: Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic and bay leaf in large Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, partially covered, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has slightly thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. (If needed, cook uncovered for another 10 minutes until thickened to desired consistency.) Remove the bay leaf and pulse the sauce with an immersion blender until slightly smooth but still rough. Add the butter and half of the parsley and season to taste. Keep warm over medium heat until the meatballs are ready.
- For the meatballs: While the sauce is simmering, start on the meatballs. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Combine the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sage and 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and set aside to allow the dried herbs to reconstitute, about 5 minutes. This will soften the spices and release their flavors.
- Transfer the sauteed onions and milk mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, couscous, grated Parmesan, ricotta, eggs, garlic and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Combine with your hands, making sure not to overmix. If the mixture looks too dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk. Using a 1 1/2-ounce-portion scoop or a scant 1/4 cup, scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. The mixture should yield 30 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs until firm on the outside but slightly undercooked in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the meatballs to the blended sauce and cook until cooked through, 10 minutes.
- For the pasta: In a large high-sided saute pan, bring 5 cups water, 3 cups of wine, and some salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes, pressing the pasta down as it cooks to make sure it is fully submerged in the liquid.
- Strain the cooked pasta and return it to the pan along with any remaining wine (there should only be a little bit, less than 1/4 cup) and 1 cup of the sauce. Toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with more sauce and the meatballs. Garnish with the remaining parsley and shaved Parmesan.
Reviews
The meatballs are okay. I think a mix of pork & beef would be better. There is twice (plus) more sauce than will be needed for 1 lb of spaghetti, but generally good. Lots of frozen left overs to look forward to.
This was amazing!!! I admit, I was skeptical at first as well. Nothing like the meatballs and sauce I typically make. Something about it while watching the episode intrigued me and wanted to try. It was so delicious! I cant believe how flavorful the sauce was with such few ingredients. Yes, the butter is what does it! The only change I made was add a touch more of each spice in the meatballs per another reviewers suggestion, and used my regular blender as I wanted the sauce to be really smooth. I was nervous the meatballs were too wet when initial mixed. I put the mixture in the fridge for an hour before forming into balls. It was perfect! We are looking forward to leftovers and will definitely make it again. Thank you Damaris!!
Sage, couscous and ricotta cheese in MEATBALLS. I don’t think so. I usually love your recipes but this Italian cannot make these and call them meatballs in good conscious. Sorry. Yuck!
Love this recipe! Inventive and most satisfying.
I only made the meatballs and followed the recipe except that I doubled the garlic but, unfortunately, my husband and I found these to have no flavor. I used all the best ingredients so was very surprised. However, I did like the consistency and gave it a second star for that.
Thank you Damaris!
I made the meatballs (a mix of ground beef and lamb) and the sauce except for the pasta (I am also feeding a toddler). This was absolutely amazing!!!! My toddler even ate. This will be my go to recipe.
I made both the sauce and the meatballs – they were both terrific! Using the couscous resulted in meatballs that held up well, even after simmering in the sauce. The meatballs also had a wonderful texture and consistency. This is my new, go-to recipe for homemade pasta sauce and meatballs.
Is the couscous cooked first?
Delicious! I would make this again and again, both the sauce and the meatballs!
I didn’t make the meatballs, but this sauce is wonderful! I was hesitant to put that much butter in the sauce, but it took the dish to another level! Also, cooking the pasta in wine was such a great idea. This is such a great show!