Spaghetti & Meatballs

I love Italian food.  Growing up in an area full of Italian-Americans, great Italian food was always readily available.  And since my best friend was/ is Italian, I learned how to make good Italian food!  My mother inherited several great recipes from her friends there and passed them down to me.  While I do like pasta, I love meatballs.  Not just any meatballs but the ones my mom taught me how to make.  I did make one slight change to the recipe, though.  Instead of frying them, I now bake them.  It's my preference, though if you want to fry them, by all means, knock yourself out!

One of the keys to great meatballs is to simmer them in the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.  It makes all the difference!  When my daughter started making them, her complaint was that they didn't taste like mine.  First question I asked her:  Did you simmer them in the sauce before serving?  Not realizing how important that was to their flavor and texture, she hadn't.  NOW she makes great meatballs, too!

Meatballs

3/4 pound ground chuck (I often use all ground chuck, or 1/2 pound ground chuck and 1/2 pound ground pork)
1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix all ingredients (I find it's easiest to do with my hands - clean hands, of course!) Shape into balls, a bit bigger than golf balls. I usually get 12 - 15 meatballs out of one batch. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. (The parchment isn't necessary, but it makes clean-up MUCH easier!)

Bake for 30 minutes. Place in simmering spaghetti sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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