Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs for a Crowd Cook's Illustrated. Serves 12

Name: Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs for a Crowd Cook's Illustrated. Serves 12
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Italian, European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (about 6oz); 1 1/2 cup buttermilk; 3 large eggs slightly beaten; 2 lbs ground beef; 1 lb ground pork (I use pork sausage); 6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto chopped fine; 3 oz grated Parmesan about 1 1/2 cups; 3 medium garlic cloves; 6 tbsp fresh parsley; 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin , dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water; salt; pepper; tomato sauce (you can make but I use Hunts); spaghetti

6 steps

Prep:1hCook:1h

Roasting our meatballs on a wire rack for even browning made our recipe faster and cleaner. Adding some powdered gelatin to our meatball mix of lean ground chuck and ground pork served to plump the meatballs and lent them a soft richness. Prosciutto gave the meatballs extra meatiness, and a panade, which we made with panko, kept the meat moist and prevented it from getting tough

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:58:59 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories455 kcal (23%)

Total Fat28.1 g (40%)

Carbs17.4 g (7%)

Sugars2.3 g (3%)

Protein31 g (62%)

Sodium629.4 mg (31%)

Fiber0.8 g (3%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

12 servings

2 ¼ cuppanko bread crumbs

1 ½ cupbuttermilk

3eggs

large, slightly beaten

2 lbsground beef

1 lbground pork

I use pork sausage

6 ozprosciutto

thinly, sliced, chopped fine

3 ozParmesan

grated

3garlic cloves

medium

6 Tbspfresh parsley

½ teaspoonspowdered gelatin

dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water

salt

pepper

tomato sauce

you can make but I use Hunts

spaghetti

Instructions

Step 1

Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

OvenPreheat

Step 2

Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 11/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs.

Step 3

Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

Step 4

Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.

Step 5

Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot.

Step 6

TO SERVE: Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.