Whenever I make meatballs – the first night we always have meatball subs or ‘bombers’ as we like to call them. Partly because it’s enough work to mix the meatballs and cook them and I often don’t want to also boil water and cook pasta. And then we rarely have leftover meatballs to use with pasta since my husband will eat a meatball bomber everyday of the week until they are gone.
So that is why I liked the idea of this ‘weeknight’ spaghetti and meatballs – one dish and get both your pasta and your meatball!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. meatloaf mix
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 8 –12 oz. spaghetti, broken in half
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- salt and pepper
Directions
1. Combine meat, bread crumbs, egg, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper in bowl and knead until combined.
2. Form into 1-inch meatballs and preheat oil in a 12-inch skillet until smoking. Cook meatballs until browned all over; transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add remaining 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, water and pasta and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat until medium-low, stirring often until pasta begins to soften, about 7 minutes.
4. Return meatballs to pan and simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through and pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.
Source: Cook’s Country Feb/Mar 2012
Christine, I love this idea! I could totally see myself making something like this on a week night!
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