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---
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title: "Spaghetti and Meatballs"
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date: 2021-03-13
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tags: ['italian', 'pasta', 'beef', 'pork', 'cheesefare']
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author: closedgl
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---
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- ⏲️Prep time: 20 min
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- 🍳 Cook time: 40 min
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- 🍽️Servings: 6
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## Ingredients
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### For the sauce
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- ½ chopped sweet yellow onion
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- 3 cloves chopped garlic
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- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
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- 1 cup chopped cremini brown mushrooms
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- 2 cans (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes
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- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
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- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
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- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
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- ¼ cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend
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- ¼ cup red wine (optional)
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### For the meatballs
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- 1 lb. ground beef
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- ½ lb. fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
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- 2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
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- 2 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
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- ½ cup finely chopped cremini brown mushrooms
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- 2 large eggs
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- ¾ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
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- ¼ cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend
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- Red wine (optional)
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### For the pasta
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- 1 ½ lb. dry spaghetti
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## Directions
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### Prepare the sauce
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1. Heat olive oil in a 4 to 5 quart pot on medium-high heat.
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2. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes.
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3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer or until fragrant.
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4. Add the carrots and mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes.
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5. Add the tomato paste, stir to blend, and cook for a minute longer.
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6. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, and parsley.
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7. Mash and stir the tomatoes with a potato masher until the sauce starts to thicken, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
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8. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently while preparing meatballs, stirring occasionally.
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### Form the meatballs
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9. In a large bowl, mix by hand the beef, Italian sausage, basil, parsley, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, and 2 tablespoons of salt and pepper.
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- Do not overmix or the meatballs will be tough.
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10. Use small melon baller (or teaspoon) to form 1-inch round meatballs.
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11. Roll and compress into tight balls.
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### Cook the meatballs
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12. In a separate wide, shallow pan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
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13. Brown meatballs on all sides for about 2-3 minutes.
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- Depending on the pan size, you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Cook them in a single layer; do not crowd the pan by stacking them.
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- Do not overcook the meatballs; they will continue to cook in the sauce.
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14. Towards the end of browning the meatballs, add a little bit of red wine to deglaze the pan.
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### Finish and simmer the sauce
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15. Add the cheese and red wine to the sauce and stir it in. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to taste.
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16. Add meatballs and gently stir. Simmer the sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes while cooking the spaghetti, stirring occasionally.
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### Cook the spaghetti
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17. [Cook the pasta](/pasta) and optionally add 1/3 cup of pasta water to the sauce.
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### Serve
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18. Place a thin layer of sauce on a plate. Add pasta, sauce and meatballs.
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