Hilda’s Spaghetti and Meatball

My mother in law gave me this recipe when I first got married. It's  very similar to Marcella Hazan’s meatball recipe in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. She was however making  this  long before the book was ever published.

 This dish is actually better the second day. The perfect comfort food served with hot garlic bread and a glass of red wine.

Hilda’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 slice of white bread

1/3 cup milk

1 lb ground beef

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 beaten egg

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for cooking

Fine dry bread crumbs (optional)

1 large chopped yellow onion

1 large can of plum tomatoes

½ cup vermouth or sherry

1 large bottle marina sauce

Tomato paste

Meatballs:

Trim the crust from a slice of white bread. Put the milk and bread in a small sauce pan and heat on low. When the bread has soaked up the milk break it up with a fork.

Remove from the heat and let cool completely

Combine the beef, bread, cheese, egg, garlic, parsley and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion.  Add to it 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix and form little meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Roll in bread crumbs ( optional).  Fry in oil until brown and crispy. Remove from pan.To oil add onion, fry until glazed. Add tomatoes to sauce, Add a little salt and pepper and marinara sauce. Simmer ½ to hour. Add vermouth and simmer additional 15 minutes. These actually get better the second day.

 

 I often double the meatball portion of this recipe since my family will  happily eat this three nights in a row.