Mema's Spaghetti and Meatballs and variations

This is probably the family favorite, and a great crowd pleaser. You can make as much or as little as you want depending on if you have a big enough pot.

I made it for the first time in college for a gang of friends, and although I thought for sure I would mess it up, once I got started on it, it felt like I had been cooking it for my entire life. Of course, it wouldn't have been worth serving without Mema's stamp of approval. I waited and watched anxiously as she walked in, stirred the pot, smelled, and then took the traditional slurp. To my great relief, she said I had it right.

Over the years, I have added a few ingredients to play with the flavor a little. Below I have the original and my variations. Currently, I'm attempting to use fresh tomatoes, we'll see how that turns out!

Meatballs
1 lb ground chuck
½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
¼ cup parmesan (could use the powder kind, but try freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1 tsp salt
Parsley (could use dry or fresh Italian flat leaf)

Directions
- Mix all ingredients together and form meat into 1 inch balls
- To make ahead: brown in heated skillet prepped with cooking spray or small amount of olive oil
- To make with sauce: drop raw meatballs directly into sauce and let simmer until cooked all the way through

Sauce
(original ingredients)
15 oz can diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes peeled* and diced)
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz can paste
1 sauce can and 1 paste can of chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sea salt or kosher
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sugar
Pepper to taste


Directions
· In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
· Reduce heat and let simmer for about 1 hour – until sauce thickens.
· If cooking meatballs in sauce, add after bringing to a boil.
· Be sure to taste the sauce after it boils and adjust seasonings to taste.

Variation
Use all of the above ingredients and…
Olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk finely chopped
2 tbls Fresh Italian leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp marjoram
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions
· In a large pot heat 2 tbls olive oil.
· Sauté garlic and onion until onion is translucent.
· Add carrot and celery with salt and pepper and sauté until tender (about 10 minutes)
· Add the rest of the ingredients (including those from the original recipe!) to the pot and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens.
· Discard bay leaf before serving

*To peel fresh tomatoes
· Cut the stem off of each tomato in a “v” shape (this will allow the skins to “slip” off later”
· Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare a bowl of cold water and ice
· Using a slotted spoon, drop tomatoes into boiling water and let them boil until skins begin to look bubbly and loose
· Using the slotted spoon remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and drop them into the cold water bath to stop the cooking process and to cool tomatoes quickly
· Skins should just slip off at this point
· For the sauce, slice tomatoes into 1 inch pieces

Italian Wedding Soup

Aunt Deb asked me to post this one after our Sunday night Italianfest at Uncle John and Aunt Kate's. It's pretty easy, but the meatballs take forever to make! This will make about 14 cups.

Soup Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of escarole - washed and ends removed
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped - include leaves
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium size white onion chopped
• 1 tbls olive oil (or cooking spray)
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 4 oz macaroni pasta (I use whole wheat)

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (this can be kind of pricey - you could substitute Kraft Shredded Parmesan, Romano and Asiago Cheese blend)
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbls fresh Italian flat leaf parsley - chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

• In a large pot heat olive oil.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic - season with pepper and saute
• While vegetables are sauteing, chiffonade escarole by stacking the leaves, rolling it and then cutting it into tiny strips
• When vegetables are tender, add the chicken stock and escarole - bring to a boil, then simmer until escarole is tender - about 30 minutes -Stir occasionally
• Begin making meatballs by combining meat, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and Italian seasoning
• Shape the meat into tiny balls - no bigger than 1 inch - I used a melonballer to help keep them small
• When escarole is tender - drop meatballs into soup one at a time and add pasta
• Cook for another 20 minutes stirring occasionally