| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 large onion (5 1/2 ounces/160 grams), sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- One 28-ounce (794 grams) can whole plum or San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- One 15-ounce (425 grams) can tomato sauce
- 1 pound (453 grams) spaghetti
- 1/4 cup (15 grams) fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup (40 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Meatballs (recipe follows)
- 1 pound (453 grams) 80/20 ground beef
- 1 pound (453 grams) hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (84 grams) plain dry breadcrumbs
- 1 cup (40 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 large onion (5 1/2 ounces/160 grams), grated on the coarse holes of a box grater
- 1/4 cup (15 grams) chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 8 small mozzarella balls/ciliegine (about 15 grams each)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, dried oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add both types of canned tomatoes and 1 cup of water from the pasta pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until thickened and flavorful, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once the meatballs are browned and the sauce has thickened, nestle the meatballs into the sauce and spoon a little of the sauce over each meatball. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and simmer while the pasta cooks, about 10 minutes.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and place on a platter. Spoon some sauce onto the spaghetti and toss to coat. Nestle the cooked meatballs into the noodles. Top with desired amount of sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, the fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving.
- Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the beef and sausage in a large bowl and spread out the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion, parsley and garlic in a large bowl and mix well with your hands to combine. Divide into 8 equal balls. Use your thumb to hollow out the center of a ball so it resembles a bowl. Stick a mozzarella ball inside and press to seal the mozzarella inside the meat mixture. Roll into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture and mozzarella.
- Bake until the meatballs are well browned, 18 to 22 minutes. (They will cook more in the sauce).
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1009 |
| Total Fat | 52 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 49 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 1305 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1009 |
| Total Fat | 52 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 49 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 1305 mg |
Reviews
Great meatball and sauce. I opted to make small meatballs w/o the cheese in the middle. I like having ready made meatballs and sauce in the freezer. I doubled the sauce as well.
I had enough for a dinner for 4 people AND plenty to put in the freezer.
Sauce that you make yourself is so much better than a jar pasta sauce.
I had enough for a dinner for 4 people AND plenty to put in the freezer.
Sauce that you make yourself is so much better than a jar pasta sauce.
Saw this yesterday on Food Netwook. OMG, made 12 meatballs and the sauce. My husband and I loved it….. hoping the meatballs freeze well since I still have 6 left!
Delicious flavor, I made 12 verses 8. Came out great!
Just made these and they are delicious. I did make smaller balls- 12 instead of 8. I’ve never combined Italian sausage and beef. The flavor is amazing. The melted cheese in the middle puts it over the top. These would make a great meatball sub. Will definitely make them again.
Came out great!
I use meatloaf mix instead of ground beef and hot Italian sausage. I generally need to add 10 minutes into meatball cooking time. Delicious!
Loved these meatballs! Be careful not to overcook! Also, I did use my favorite jarred sauce but I will definitely make her sauce next time! Molly-it is so much fun watching you! Food Network needs to block out the reviews with no comments! They are worthless and evidently so are those lazy writers!
Love Molly and her show. These meatballs were no exception. The only complaint my hubby had were that I made them too large. Next time he wants me to make the balls smaller. Yes, I said next time because my family said these balls and sauce were a definite keeper. The sauce was easy to make.
Homerun! These meatballs were a hit for my family of five. They were juicy and delicious! What was even better was the homemade spaghetti sauce. I have never been able to find a spaghetti sauce recipe that we like but this one was sooo yummy! I did everything exactly as the recipe says, the only thing I did different was I added double the seasonings in the sauce because we love lots of flavor. I finally found a spaghetti sauce and meatball recipe that I can add to my recipe book and keep forever. Thank you Molly!!!
These meatballs were flavorful, juicy, and the addition of cheese sent them over the top! Thank you to Molly for another great recipe!