For the Love of the Stove

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total:1 hr 30 min Recipe Tools:
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil 
1 onion, chopped 
2 garlic cloves, smashed 
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves 
1 cup milk 
4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed 
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 
1 1/2 pounds ground pork 
1 large egg 
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
4 cups heated Pomodoro Sauce, recipe follows, or good quality jarred tomato sauce 
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks 
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh basil 
1 pound spaghetti 
Directions
1. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof 

skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft 

but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.
2. Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. 

Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt 

and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl 

along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hang onto the pan - you'll need it to cook the meatballs.) 

Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't 

overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice 

looking meatballs.  (This is the part that I disagree with - the first time I made the recipe I did 

exactly what the recipe called for and they were bigger than baseballs.  I prefer smaller meatballs

so I now make 30 meatballs.) 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, 

about 10 minutes. Put them into a baking dish and spoon about half of the tomato sauce over. 

Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until

 the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and 

put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs

on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately along with extra cheese.

Pomodoro Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand, liquid 

reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and 

cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes

like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook

until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. 2. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes.

Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season again.
Yield: 4 cups