Mamma Leones Style Spaghetti And Meatballs With Mozzarella Recipes

MAMMA LEONE'S-STYLE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS WITH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with oil, 6 slow turns of the pan
• Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook slowly until very soft, 15 minutes, stirring frequently and lowering the heat if the onions begin to brown
• Add tomatoes and break them up, add passata, cheese rind and basil, and simmer at a low bubble for a minimum of 30 minutes
• For the meatballs, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat until very soft, about 15 minutes
• Add a splash of water if the onions begin to brown; let cool
• Soak the bread in milk for 10 minutes then squeeze out excess liquid and crumble into moist crumbs
• Place meats in a bowl and season with salt and pepper
• Add breadcrumbs and season with allspice or cloves
• Add fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, grated cheeses and eggs to the bowl and mix
• Roll large meatballs about 2 ½-inches in diameter and arrange in a baking dish or casserole; drizzle with EVOO
• (Tip: The meatballs freeze well but do not add mozzarella if freezing them
• ) Bake meatballs at 375 °F for about 15 minutes then cover with about half of the sauce and mozzarella, and bake about 15 minutes more
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to rolling boil, add salt to liberally season water and cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than al dente
• Reserve 1 cup of starchy water and drain pasta
• Toss pasta with half the sauce and add starchy water and more grated cheese if you like
• Drizzle with EVOO to gloss the sauce and pasta once it emulsifies
• Top with torn basil and serve
• Pass meatballs at the table to place on top of pasta

MAMA'S BEST EVER SPAGHETTI AND MOZZARELLA MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
• Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, mozzarella cheese, and garlic in a medium bowl. Use a 1/4 cup measure or ice cream scoop to portion into 12 to 13 meatballs. Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Baked until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Bring the Ragu® Sauce to a simmer in a 12-inch skillet. Gently place the cooked meatballs into the sauce. Simmer 10 minutes.
• Ladle some of the sauce over hot pasta and toss to coat. Serve with more sauce and the meatballs with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.