Spaghetti & Pan-Seared Meatballs
MAKES 5 DOZEN | LEVEL: BEGINNER
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These meatballs go waaaaay back! My best friend Lauren’s mom, Mrs. Parente was a phenomenal cook. When we were in fifth grade, I went to Lauren’s house and if I remember correctly, we were trying to earn a cooking badge for our Girl Scout sashes. To earn the badge, we “helped” Mrs. Parente, who definitely did not need our help. Her pan-seared meatballs, that she cooked first and then plopped into her own homemade sauce, were hands down, the best thing I had ever tasted.
I asked Lauren for the recipe back then, and I think this was one of those dishes that relied more on instinct and experience than any specific measurements. So, no recipe. It became my obsession to try to recreate them.
These meatballs, which throughout the years have remained very much a part of my regular dinner repertoire, were the best I could come up with. Nothing – and I do mean nothing – could compare with Mrs. Parente’s meatballs, but I hope these pay homage.
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs ground round
1 egg
⅓ cup quality seasoned breadcrumbs
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb. spaghetti or other pasta
Homemade pasta sauce, or 1 jar good quality marinara
- Heat a large pot with water and add salt.
- Mix the ground round, breadcrumbs, egg, spices, milk, parmesan, and garlic using a wooden spoon. Add a little more milk, or a bit more breadcrumbs if needed to make the mixture a good, sticky consistency.
- Set up a plate nearby to hold the meatballs as they come out of the skillet, and a piece of foil or another plate to cover them to keep them warm while the rest of the batch cooks.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the pasta while the meatballs are cooking.
- Warm a 10” or 12” non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. If using a skillet that isn’t non-stick, add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan and swirl to cover.
- Using a cookie scoop or your clean hands, scoop out enough meat and form a meatball about 1 ½” in diameter, slightly flattening each one in your hands so there’s more surface area for the meat on the pan. Fill the pan with meatballs, cooking over medium-heat and watching them closely, using a fork to turn each one when it’s got a nice, brown crust.
- When cooked on both sides, remove each meatball to the plate and keep covered. Taste, and add sprinkle with salt if needed.
- In a saucepan, warm homemade or good quality marinara sauce.
- When all the meatballs are cooked, drain the pasta and add to pasta bowls. Top with sauce and meatballs, and serve with parmesan cheese.