Mom's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tender, juicy meatballs made with ground beef, hot Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan, and parsley. Simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce for a comforting Italian meal.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Place the bread in a medium bowl and add the milk. Let sit until the bread softens and is soaked with the milk, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, parsley, garlic, eggs, wine, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Drain off any milk that did not get absorbed into the bread, then add the milk-soaked bread to the bowl with the meat mixture. Mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Step 3

Form the meat mixture into 2.5-inch balls, coating your hands with a little olive oil to prevent the mixture from sticking. (You should have about 13 meatballs.)

Step 4

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, cook the meatballs until browned on most sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a large plate. (They will finish cooking in the sauce.)

Step 5

In the same pot, combine the olive oil and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion starts to become tender and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes to break them up as you drop them into the pot, then pour in the juices from the can. Add the wine, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes.

Step 6

Add the meatballs and stir to coat in the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat until the internal temperature of the meatballs registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. You can simmer over very low heat for up to 3 hours so the flavors continue to deepen.