SPAGHETTI AND DROP MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Spaghetti and Drop Meatballs With Tomato Sauce image

This fast version of spaghetti and meatballs with red gravy is ready in less than 30 minutes, but you'll be chopping, stirring and monitoring heat - actively working - from start to finish. You'll be busy, but not frantic, and rewarded not only with the twirling of pasta in half an hour, but with the satisfaction that you made every second count. Featured in: When Cooking, Invest Time. Or Work. Not Both..

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Number Of Ingredients 204

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Spaghetti and Drop Meatballs With Tomato Sauce
Mark Bittman
Time25 minutes
Yield4 servings
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Melina Hammer for The New York Times
This fast version of spaghetti and meatballs with red gravy is ready in less than 30 minutes, but you'll be chopping, stirring and monitoring heat - actively working - from start to finish. You'll be busy, but not frantic, and rewarded not on
Featured in: When Cooking, Invest Time. Or Work. Not Both..
Ground Beef, Pasta, Spaghetti, Tomato Sauce
Cooked
664 ratings
Ingredients
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces ground beef
6 ounces Parmesan, or about 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch fresh parsley
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Black pepper
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
6 cups canned crushed tomatoes (a little less than two 28-ounce cans)
3 bay leaves
1 pound spaghetti
Nutritional Information
Preparation
Step 1Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 2Put the ground beef in a medium bowl. Grate the cheese, put 1 cup over the meat and reserve the rest, about 1/2 cup. Chop 1/2 cup of parsley and add all but 2 tablespoons to the meat mixture; save the rest of the parsley for another use. Add th
Step 3Raise the heat to medium-high; use 2 teaspoons to drop rounds of the meatball mixture into the skillet without touching one another if you can help it. Adjust the heat so the meatballs sizzle but don't burn and cook undisturbed until they'r
Step 4Meanwhile, trim, peel and chop the onion; scatter it around the meatballs. Peel and mince the garlic and put it on top of the onions.
Step 5When the meatballs are browned on the bottom and the aromatics begin to soften, add the tomatoes to the skillet, along with the bay leaves and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then cover
Step 6Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
Step 7Move the meatballs to one side of the skillet with a spatula and stir the sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaves and spoon about half the sauce into the pasta pot. Toss the pasta over low heat, adding a splash of cooking
Step 8To serve, divide the pasta among 4 plates or bowls; top with the meatballs and the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and parsley over the top.
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Dee 4 hours ago
I don't eat beef so can I substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef?
Amy 11 days ago
This meatball was very tender and delicious. I used Parmigiano-Reggiano (that was what I had on hand). Instead of measuring parsley, I just took half of my bundle. The meat mixture was kind of hard to combine, but I just had to work it with my hands.
Mary 21 days ago
Found the amount of parmesan cheese to be way too much -- too strong a cheese taste, too salty. Perhaps if an American parmesan is used as opposed to a good Italian aged cheese that I used, it would be okay. Just be aware of the difference. Plus, I h
Linda 24 days ago
I made this recipe and used the leftovers to make a meatball sandwich on a baguette. I liked it much, much better than I did over pasta (for which I found the sauce to be too bland). Heat baguette in oven. Slice in half and remove the doughy part in
Delali a month ago
Great easy recipe that I made in no time. Switched the beef to ground turkey and added bacon to the mixture and it turned out great!
Linda 2 months ago
We lived in Italy for six years; this sauce has a real Italian taste. Though we didn't get meatballs with our spaghetti in Italy, the meat sauces are thin and taste very much like this. This recipe is not overly seasoned. Enjoyable variation on Itali
anne 2 months ago
The meatball recipe seems very good, people might want to add this or that...or detract this or that...however spaghetti and meatballs is ONLY an American dish...NOT made in Italy where meatballs (polpette) are only and always a second course...spagh
Jeanne a month ago
It's great to have you here setting everyone straight about how things should be done. I feel put in my place and I haven't even cooked this yet, let alone used ground turkey or frozen pasta.
Nancy Caravan 2 months ago
This is a bit blah for our taste. I add herbs and garlic to my meatballs--and brown them on all sides. Maybe in this recipe, the meat is supposed to give flavor to the sauce but it is too short a cooking time for that, so I would also enhance the fla
I freeze extra/leftover sauce, and also freeze individual portions of cooked pasta to save time. Just take out of baggie, drop in boiling water for a few seconds. And, voila.
anne 2 months ago
Freezing already cooked pasta!!! OMG...and when pasta just takes maximum 10 minutes to cook! Just drop uncooked pasta into your boiling water and then your pasta will not taste like mush....
Liz S. 2 months ago
Especially good if you use homemade bread crumbs, soak them in milk first and then press out the milk that is not fully absorbed. Makes a moister meatball that will be less "dense."
Canuck chef 2 months ago
Excellent! Easy to follow and the meatballs were very tasty. I hand-shaped them--a little too dense, so will try dropping them next time. Be warned: use a deep skillet. I ended up with quite a brimming skillet by the end.
Browning all sides of the meatballs is a great idea!
Thanks for a keeper Mark!
John 2 months ago
I used 1/2 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb of Neese's Country Sausage. When in the south [USA], add a little Southern. Results: ¡¡ Delicioso !!
yo_itsben 3 months ago
The meatballs turned out well but the sauce--flavorless and too thick--is overkill. The recipe instructs you to make twice as much as you'd need for the dish, all for the sake of cooking the meatballs through but, if you make the meatballs as small a
Doug Johnston 3 months ago
Color me "slow"--but my time to table came in just over a hour. That said, it was tasty.
AAD 3 months ago
We love meatballs and this is so easy, I spooned them all out then added them to the pan. A small scoop would be easier. Next time. Used the last of my gardens parsley. Since there are just 2 of us, I will freeze the leftovers. Looking forward to din
Lisa 4 months ago
I admit I found myself rolling instead of dropping. I like that the recipe doesn't need a lot of salt. The ingredients provide enough flavor on their own.
I'm not in the U.S. and canned crushed tomatoes are not available, so I used polpa di pomodoro - not sure if exactly the same, but did the job just fine.
Chris 5 months ago
Made it according to recipe; loved it! Wouldn't change a thing! Thanks, Mark Bittman.
the_beezelet 5 months ago
Mmm meatballs! but took us about 60 minutes.
Jesse 8 months ago
not bad. sauce was a bit bland. will use whole canned tomatoes next time.
John 2 months ago
Tried it for the first time, never considered anything other than whole canned tomatoes. You're right @Jesse. You're so right.
Jan 8 months ago
wonderful, fresh, quick meal
Susan 8 months ago
Couldn't ask for an easier meatball recipe, very tasty and workable even on a week night.
John 9 months ago
Simple and satisfying.
Tinarina 9 months ago
Love this; have made multiple times already. I round all the meatball ingredients up in order to use a pound of ground beef, and use an ice cream scoop to quickly form the balls.
I also use less canned tomatoes because I prefer less sauce but otherwise follow the recipe exactly. I think the simple flavors and copious amount of cheese is what makes this recipe so good.
Westminstress 9 months ago
This was a hit for us. I used one pound of beef and increased seasonings accordingly. Then could not fit all the meat in the pan! Luckily the leftover meatball mix froze well.
Stephanie Knottingham 9 months ago
Love this recipe! I've made it with all beef and with a meatloaf mix from the supermarket. I've substituted panko for the bread crumbs when I'm too lazy to get the food processor out. I've also thrown leftover springs of basil in which adds a nice fl
Beth 9 months ago
This recipe is making my top 10 of spaghetti recipes - it's beating out my 47 year old tried and true! It's so easy. I do add oregano, basil and Italian seasoning to the tomato sauce which I think makes it more authentic. For me at any rate.
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Steps:

Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Put the ground beef in a medium bowl. Grate the cheese, put 1 cup over the meat and reserve the rest, about 1/2 cup. Chop 1/2 cup of parsley and add all but 2 tablespoons to the meat mixture; save the rest of the parsley for another use. Add the bread crumbs, crack in the egg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently mix until everything is just combined.
Raise the heat to medium-high; use 2 teaspoons to drop rounds of the meatball mixture into the skillet without touching one another if you can help it. Adjust the heat so the meatballs sizzle but don't burn and cook undisturbed until they're lightly browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim, peel and chop the onion; scatter it around the meatballs. Peel and mince the garlic and put it on top of the onions.
When the meatballs are browned on the bottom and the aromatics begin to soften, add the tomatoes to the skillet, along with the bay leaves and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet and cook until the meat cooks through, about 8 minutes. Remove the lid and let the sauce bubble vigorously to thicken for another 5 to 10 minutes, essentially while the pasta cooks. Stir only as needed and carefully if you do.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
Move the meatballs to one side of the skillet with a spatula and stir the sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaves and spoon about half the sauce into the pasta pot. Toss the pasta over low heat, adding a splash of cooking water to make it saucier if you like.
To serve, divide the pasta among 4 plates or bowls; top with the meatballs and the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and parsley over the top.