Mom said these meatballs were so light, they just about floated away. She used Chef Michael Smith’s recipe for the meatballs, with a few changes and made her own special brand of tomato sauce. Years ago, she added some prime rib bones to a simmering tomato sauce. It’s lived in our memories as one of the best ever since. She had bought some prime rib bones especially for this and stored them in the freezer until she needed them. Cilantro was substituted for parsley and she threw in about 1/2 package of Lawry’s spaghetti sauce mix.
Mom’s Tomato Sauce
Ease of Preparation: Simple
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato paste
Prime rib bones
1/2 package of Lawry’s spaghetti sauce mix
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place tomatoes, tomato paste, bones and Lawry’s mix in a medium size sauce pot or dutch oven and bring to a gentle boil on medium high heat. Reduce to medium low and simmer for about 40 minutes. Correct seasoning and remove bones.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This recipe sneaks in a little bit of French nutmeg, it adds a pinch of je ne sais quoi and a lot of flavour.
Ease of Preparation: Moderate
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
1/2-cup breadcrumbs
1/2-cup milk
1-pound ground beef
1 onion, peeled then grated on a cheese or potato grater
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 egg yolk
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
½-cup of grated Parmesan (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of nutmeg
Olive oil
2 cups or so of tomato sauce
1-pound package of spaghetti
Directions:
Toss the breadcrumbs into a small bowl and pour the milk over them. Stir to combine then set aside the mixture until the crumbs have absorbed all the milk.
Place the ground beef into a large bowl and add the grated onion, minced garlic and egg yolk. If you like add the optional Parmesan. Add the breadcrumb mixture, nutmeg and parsley. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. Form into 8 large meatballs.
Pre-heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot add a splash of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom. Add the meatballs. Patiently sear them until they are well browned on all sides. Drain off any excess fat. Add the tomato sauce of your choice and simmer until the meatballs have cooked through about 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the spaghetti in lots of boiling salted water, drain without rinsing and serve with the meatballs.