Spaghetti Meatball Cups Recipes

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions; saute until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste; cook 3-5 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 50 minutes., Combine the first 7 meatball ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add meatballs; brown in batches until no longer pink. Drain. Add to sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until flavors are blended, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti.

Steps:

• To make the pesto:.
• Combine basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, olive oil and a pinch salt in a food processor. Puree until almost smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• To make meatballs:.
• In a large bowl, mix to combine breadcrumbs and milk. Add the ground beef, parsley, Italian seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Divide into 12 equal balls. Flatten into patties and place a mozzarella cube in the center, then close the meat around to make a ball.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches if necessary, brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and seat aside on a plate.
• To make spaghetti cups, combine cooked spaghetti with 1/2 cup pesto, 2 beaten eggs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and 1 cup grated mozzarella. Divide spaghetti into prepared muffin tin and make a well in the center of each.
• Place a meatball in the center of each spaghetti nest. Top with 2 teaspoons of grated mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.

Steps:

• Tomato sauce:
• Heat oil in a casserole. Add garlic and stir until lightly golden. Then add the crushed tomatoes with their juice, 2 tomato cans of water, the ground pepper, chopped parsley, chopped fresh basil and salt. Then taste it. If it seems a little acidic, add a little sugar
• Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
• Meatballs:
• In a bowl mix together the milk and egg. Add mixture to bowl of bread cubes. Toss to coat.
• Let the bread stand for 15 minutes.
• Mash the bread cubes and add to a 1 pound of ground beef, grated Romano, garlic, and parsley. Mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• With wet hands form walnut size balls. Brown the meatballs lightly in olive oil. Add meatballs to 6 cups sauce bubbling in pot. Simmer 45 minutes.
• Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water for the length of time specified on the box. Drain spaghetti by lifting it out of its cooking pot in a strainer/colander, pour the water out of the pot, transfer some cooked spaghetti from strainer/colander to pot in which it was cooked.
• Ladle some sauce over pasta. Stir to coat. Add a knob of butter and toss again. Add meatballs and toss. Plate the pasta on 4 serving plates or pasta bowls. Add more sauce on top. Serve immediately with a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a cheese grater on the side.
• Suggested wine: Montevina Barbera, Amador County, 1994