Zappa Family Spaghetti and Meatballs

"I was on a quest for the perfect spaghetti sauce, and thanks to this recipe from the NY Times, I think it's officially over. It tastes just like the sauce my childhood best friend's parents used to make -- they immigrated from Italy and had me over for dinner every Sunday. I didn't have any chuck roasts or beef briskets on hand, so I just let the meatballs simmer in the sauce. I like the thinner consistency because that's how my friend's parents made it, but my boyfriend prefers a thicker sauce -- next time I will cut down on the water. Also, instead of 1 cup of breadcrumbs, I used 4 slices of white bread that I tore into small pieces and then soaked in 1/2 cup buttermilk for 10 min. to form a paste, a tip I learned from the Best Recipe Cookbook."
 
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Ready In:
3hrs 45mins
Ingredients:
28
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Make the meatballs:

  • In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil by hand, using a light touch. Take a portion of meat in hand, and roll between palms to form a ball that is firmly packed but not compressed. Repeat, making each meatball about 2 inches in diameter.
  • In a large, heavy pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add meatballs in batches. Do not crowd. Brown well on bottoms before turning, or meatballs will break apart. Continue cooking until browned all over. Remove meatballs to a plate as each batch is finished. Let meatballs cool slightly; cover and refrigerate until needed.
  • Make the sauce:

  • Sprinkle salt and pepper all over pork and beef. Place large pot over medium-high heat; when hot, add olive oil and brown meat. (Or cook meat in same pot used for meatballs, browning in the leftover fat.) Remove meat to a platter. Turning heat under pot to medium, add onions, and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes longer. Add tomato paste, and stir: cook until it absorbs fat in pan. Add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and bay leaf, stirring to combine.
  • Add cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce, then 4 1/2 cups water. Stir in sugar, parsley and peperoncini. Return meats to pot with their juices. Bring sauce to a gentle boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, partly cover and leave sauce to simmer 21/2 hours or more, stirring regularly.
  • About 20 minutes before serving, add meatballs to pot. Boil spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, return spaghetti to pan and add 3 cups sauce. Toss pasta in pan for a minute to coat with sauce, and place on a large platter. Pour 2 more cups sauce over pasta. Place meat and meatballs on pasta, slicing large pieces. Serve with bowls of remaining sauce and Parmesan.

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Reviews

  1. I was brought up on this sauce for way too many years and when I moved away I truely craved it. I do have to thank the Zappa family for posting this...
     
  2. Since I first read this in the NY Times I have made this time and time again. Simply the best. Not greasy, great taste, a real favorite to try.
     
  3. This is my new spaghetti recipe! I loved it. It does take a while, but I think its worth it. Those meatballs were great by themselves! I will make this all the time.
     
  4. We planned to make this as soon as I saw the recipe, and it was absolutely tremendous; the flavors were layered and developed nicely over the long cooking time. It actually took very little work to start this off; I'd make it again in a heartbeat.
     
  5. I didn't make the meatballs, but I did make the sauce and it's delicious. I also cheated on the sauce because of time and used ground beef and ground pork. Still, the seasoning and other ingredients were the same and this is just wonderful.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl at heart, and I've only recently started forcing myself to eat vegetables -- I suppose that's what happens when you are raised to believe that a meal isn't really a meal unless you're eating meat! My passion for food started with my parents -- since food is such a focus of Filipino culture, anything was an excuse for cooking a large meal and inviting friends or family over. Cooking, on the other hand, is something I've only recently started enjoying -- I love having adventures in different parts of the world, and when I can't do that, I love having adventures in the kitchen. So I experiment a lot with new recipes and I'm always in search of the perfect version of something. I moved up to NYC a couple of years ago for work, and it's been heaven. The food in this city is fantastic, and I especially enjoy going out into Queens for ethnic dining. I work at a union full of burly guys who love to eat, so it's nice to be in like-minded company -- the granola vegans at my last non-profit job just didn't understand. I'm taking ceramics classes and I travel widely -- my next trip is to Egypt, Jordan and Jerusalem in the fall.
 
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