Meatballs and Spaghetti | Everyday Dorie

Meatballs and spaghetti is a common dish that shows up in a lot of places. In Everyday Dorie, Dorie Greenspan makes the meatballs dishes special by adding some unusual ingredients. We made gingered-turkey meatballs with ginger as the star ingredient. That was great. Here the meatballs are made with beef and sausage meat. Notably, the surprise ingredients are the oats and walnuts. Collectively, they contribute to a complex flavor and a crunchy texture in the meatballs. With that, meatballs and spaghetti bring a measure of excitement!

To make 24 to 28 meatballs, mix together the following ingredients: ground beef (1 pound), hot Italian sausage meat (1/2 pound), finely chopped red onion (1/2 cup), rolled oats (1/4 cup), chopped walnuts (1/4 cup), chopped fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Add a beaten egg to the mixture. Then shape the meatballs with a medium-sized cookie scoop (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity).

The beauty of a dish like this is the flexibility to make as many meatballs as you like. Freeze some for later uses. Serve them with spaghetti, put them in a soup or over a crisp salad. The uses are endless.

For the sauce, Dorie adds “the secret little extra:” balsamic vinegar. The rest is about cooking down cans of meshed whole and crushed tomatoes, with garlic and salt and pepper. When I have the time, I like sweating a chopped onion which adds immense flavor to the sauce.