Italian-American · main

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs reads umami 8.0, richness 6.3 and salinity 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 1 hr 10 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.0 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 4.6 · Allium 4.3 · Sweetness 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Sourness 2.0 · Fruity 1.9 · Nutty 1.9 · Heat 1.6 · Earthy 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 0.8 · Citrus 0.7

What's in it (15)

• beef — 454 g
• pork — 227 g
• white sandwich bread — 56 g
• regular milk — 118 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g
• egg — 100 g
• garlic — 12 g
• parsley — 15 g
• salt — 11 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• olive oil — 54 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• tomatoes — 1588 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• thin spaghetti — 454 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 10 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 88.7 kcal, 7.6 g protein, 3.4 g fat, 6.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a large bowl, tear the bread into small pieces and pour the milk over it. Mash with a fork into a smooth paste and let it sit 5 minutes to form a panade — this is what keeps the meatballs tender instead of dense.
2. Add the ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, egg, half the garlic, half the parsley, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper to the panade. Mix gently with your hands just until combined, then shape into 16 meatballs about 1 1/2 inches across — handle the mixture as little as possible to keep the meatballs light.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the meatballs until deeply browned on all sides, 6-7 minutes per batch; they won't be cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot along with the onion, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom as you sauté until softened and just starting to turn golden at the edges, 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
5. Crush the tomatoes by hand into the pot, then stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; bring to a simmer, scraping up any remaining browned bits.
6. Nestle the seared meatballs and any accumulated juices back into the sauce. Partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through to 160°F internal and the sauce has thickened and deepened in color, 35-40 minutes.
7. With about 15 minutes left on the sauce, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente, 9-11 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
8. Toss the drained spaghetti with a ladleful of the sauce and the remaining parsley, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed. Divide among bowls, top with the meatballs and more sauce, and finish with grated Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Turkey Meatballs in Marinara over Spaghetti — Italian-American
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
• Baked Rigatoni with Mini Meatballs — Italian-American
• Pasta Fagioli with Italian Sausage — Italian-American
• Baked Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.