Spaghetti and Verrry Tender Meatballs

When I hear “spaghetti and meatballs,” I envision a lengthy (but no less rewarding) process of tending to both the meat and simmering sauce on the stovetop. But when a craving for this beloved Italian American classic hits on a weekday, I want it NOW, please and thank you. And thus, the creation of this weeknight-friendly version, entirely executable in just an hour. (Watch my intensive development process here.)

On its surface spaghetti and meatballs seems like a pretty straightforward dish—and it largely is. You have three parts to contend with: the meatballs, the sauce, and the pasta. The real star, for me, is the meatball component, which requires some love and attention in order to avoid the dreaded dried-out-puck fate.

My ideal meatball is one that is fork—no, spoon!—tender. Many traditional meatball recipes include a trio of beef, pork, and veal to achieve this optimal texture; my hope in developing this recipe was to pare back this makeup a bit to just include more widely available (not to mention more affordable) beef and pork. A panade, or a mixture of starch and liquid, is often found in meatballs to ensure moisture; breadcrumbs (homemade or store-bought) or even Japanese panko can be used at this stage, but I opt for good old-fashioned Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs, which produces a consistent texture and, of course, built-in flavor. Additionally, I borrow from the Korean playbook and include some grated onion and a touch of soy sauce for added umami. Whatever you do, have a light hand and DO NOT OVERMIX the mixture if you want tender meatballs. As for cooking the actual meatballs, I skip the time-consuming oven and rely on my favorite broiler (which preheats in minutes, if it needs to at all) for just a few minutes, long enough to develop a bit of a crust to give them structural integrity, before finishing them off by gently simmering in the sauce.

The tomato sauce is a supporting cast member here. I keep it simple with a marinara made from tomato passata, which always tastes brighter and fresher to me than tinned, though certainly you can use your preferred canned tomato purée, crushed tomato product, or even your favorite prepared bottled marina (I always keep a jar of Rao’s nearby for just this reason). Feel free to add aromatics like basil, oregano, or thyme if you desire. I opted to keep the marinara canvas minimal here.

Lastly, don’t forget to reserve some pasta cooking water (always!), in case you want to loosen the sauce. Unlike the emoji plate of spaghetti, it’s always nice to coat the noodles in a bit of the sauce before plating up. There’s plenty of sauce in this recipe to allow you to do just this, as well as to top the meatballs with even more sauce if you please.