Ragu - Best Spaghetti and Meatballs!
This was a great one. I have never made homemade meatballs, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. I used the Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic, and Onion sauce, which was delicious. Definitely my favorite of the Ragu sauces I have tried. It had nice big chunks of tomato and onion, and a rich, sweet flavor that complements meatballs perfectly. My mom always fried her meatballs, but I decided to bake them, then simmer them in the sauce to finish, and it ended up being a great choice. They were firm enough to hold together, remained moist, and had time to flavor the sauce as they simmered. My husband, who compares all Italian cooking to that of his old Italian grandmother, absolutely loved them, as did both of my children. The grated onion added great flavor and moisture, and my kids couldn't see any onions so they ate them without any complaints!
3 TBS grated onion
1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
3/4 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
one egg
1 TBS milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
2 1lb 10 oz jars Ragu Chunky Tomato, Garlic, and Onion sauce
Cooked spaghetti
Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9X13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Grate onion into a large bowl. Add garlic, bread crumbs, egg, milk, salt, and pepper.
Mix well. This is done before adding ground beef so that the beef can be mixed in with your hands easily without overworking the meat and melting the fats. It also gives the breadcrumbs a chance to absorb the milk.
Add meat and mix briefly, kneading with hands until blended.
Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place in 9x13 pan
Bake for 25 minutes. They will be lightly brown on the outside and excess fat will have cooked out. Meanwhile, heat sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble.
Add meatballs to sauce. Turn down to low and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes to allow meatballs to finish cooking and to flavor the sauce.
Serve over spaghetti and enjoy!
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