How have we not talked about spaghetti before?

[Fire Me Boy!]

I'm not talking about that baked spaghetti bullshit. Real spaghetti. Does it HAVE to be spaghetti to be American spaghetti? Favorite pasta brand? No meat, ground meat, meatballs? Mushrooms? Do you have a favorite jarred sauce?

[vailpass]

[eDave]

Cook your sauce low and slow.

I eat my spaghetti with bread, like a sandwich. Old boarding school habit since we only got one serving per meal, but all the bread you could eat.

[Fire Me Boy!]

This is the best meatball recipe I've ever made. Makes a TON, but reheats are great, and who can resist meatball subs?

INGREDIENTS

MEATBALLS
2 ¼ cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Table salt and ground black pepper

SAUCE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups tomato juice (bottled)
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds spaghetti
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Granulated sugar
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
SERVES 12
One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4. For instructions on how to cook the pasta in less water, see Lots of Pasta, Less Water (related).

1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

2. Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs.

3. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

4. FOR THE SAUCE: While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile, bring 10 quarts water to boil in 12-quart pot. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt to boiling water; cook until al dente. Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot.

7. TO SERVE: Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by eDave

Cook your sauce low and slow.

I eat my spaghetti with bread, like a sandwich. Old boarding school habit since we only got one serving per meal, but all the bread you could eat.

I never eat fresh spaghetti as a sandwich, but leftovers are almost always sandwiches with white bread and lightly buttered.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

.

I reject your thesis.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I reject your thesis.

There's something better than baked spaghetti. It's called lasagna.

[TambaBerry]

make your own sauce in spaghetti, and for the love of god dont over cook the noodles. If the sauce doesnt stick to the noodles you did something wrong.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by TambaBerry

make your own sauce in spaghetti, and for the love of god dont over cook the noodles. If the sauce doesnt stick to the noodles you did something wrong.

AN excellent reason for keeping 1/2 to 1 c. of starchy pasta water. Mix a little in with the sauce and pasta and the starch will help it stick.

[The Franchise]

Just the basics. Spaghetti noodles with meat sauce.

Spaghetti bread is where the **** it's at though. I'll eat that shit any day of the week.

[TimBone]

I made spaghetti for my wife on our very first date. Been stuck with her ever since. **** spaghetti.

[TimBone]

Also, did you guys know that filipinos put a shit ton of sugar in their spaghetti? The sauce comes out super sweet.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

AN excellent reason for keeping 1/2 to 1 c. of starchy pasta water. Mix a little in with the sauce and pasta and the starch will help it stick.

dude i never thought about that, i usually undercook the spaghetti noodles and then finish them off in the sauce. I am going to try that though.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by TambaBerry

dude i never thought about that, i usually undercook the spaghetti noodles and then finish them off in the sauce. I am going to try that though.

Finishing in the sauce is pro-tip, but keep the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce a bit or need some extra cling.

[Frosty]

I don't eat it very often but when I do it's tomato sauce with ground Italian sausage, mushrooms and sometimes zucchini and summer squash, topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. I prefer it over rice rather than noodles.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I don't eat it very often but when I do it's tomato sauce with ground Italian sausage, mushrooms and sometimes zucchini and summer squash, topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. I prefer it over rice rather than noodles.