Anyway, snacks aside, I still like small pastas and mini meatballs because they are spoonable and don't like food. for the spoon you eat in a bowl? Did you know that SpaghettiO was apparently invented because at the time they thought kids didn't know how to eat long pasta carefully? It also had something to do with the fact that small pasta retains its texture better in a box. I don't really care, but I admit there's something fun about spooning pasta. It seems much more effective one way or another.
Fun as a spoon, this recipe almost never happened, even if I wanted to make homemade spaghetti forever. Like so many other ideas, I have never overlooked it. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), these guys ended up due to a failed experiment. He had a bunch of mini meatballs in tomato sauce because he wanted to create a bread cube filled with spaghetti and mini meatballs. The bread cube didn't work (I didn't make enough spaghetti sauce) but the mini meatballs in sauce turned out to be so delicious they should have been mixed with mini rings.
These iconic mini spaghetti O rings aren't really that easy to find. We had anelli pasta in the pantry, but it was the kind that had cut edges instead of those smooth rings you'd find in a box. I mean, they worked, but if I had time to plan ahead, I would have searched the internet for these soft rings. Taste-wise, they were pretty much the same, except that when making pasta at home, they are invariably more al dente than canned pasta.
Sweet and slightly sour tomato sauce, tender meatballs and spoonful. It was a satisfying taste of nostalgia and I would do it again, even if shaping those little meatballs was a pain in the ass!
Recipe for homemade spaghetti with mini meatballs
Time to cook 1 hour
Total time 1 hour 30 min
salsa
- 1 soup spoon olive oil
- 1 soup spoon Butter
- 1 soup spoon sugar
- 1 coffee scoop Dried oregano
- 1 coffee scoop garlic powder
- 1 coffee scoop onion powder
- 1/2 coffee scoop Red pepper flakes Optional
- 28 onz Crushed tomatoes 1 box
- 1 soup spoon chopped parsley
- 12 onz anelletti or small ring-shaped donuts
Meat balls
- 1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
- 1 soup spoon fresh parsley Cortado
- 1 coffee scoop garlic powder
- 1 coffee scoop onion powder
- 1/2 coffee scoop shawl
- 1/2 coffee scoop pepper
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 big egg
- 8 onz Ground beef
- 8 onz minced pork
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In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive and butter. Add sugar, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until flavors have melted, about 20 minutes (or however long it takes to make the meatballs). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the panko, 1 flat parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the milk and beat the egg. Add the beef and pork and mix until combined, being careful not to overwork. Form into small meatballs about the size of a dime, wetting your hands lightly as the meat does not stick to your hands. Place the meatballs on a platter.
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Gently place the meatballs into the boiling sauce. If there is not enough room for the meatballs to be covered by the sauce, add a little water or broth to make sure all the meatballs are completely covered. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are tender and cooked through (open one to check).
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While the meatballs are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package in a large pot of salted water.
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Once al dente, drain well and garnish with the mini meatball sauce, stirring to combine. Enjoy with parmesan cheese, chili flakes and extra flat parsley if desired.
