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Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic comfort food that has been shared among friends and family for generations. Culinary Director, Victor Casado, has worked to put together the perfect spaghetti and meatballs recipe that he prepares as a classic comfort food for his residents! We hope you try out this recipe for yourself and are able to enjoy it among your friends and family!

Ingredients: 

Pasta:

• 16 ounces linguine pasta

Meatballs:

• 1-pound 85/15 ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 28 ounces canned San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions: 

Linguine: In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook linguine to al dente according to package directions. Drain, cover and set aside.

Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix until incorporated.
3. Using a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop, or your hands, form mixture into meatballs and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Recipe makes about 24 meatballs of this size.
4. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 F in the center ( I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to prevent meatballs from drying out).
5. Remove from oven and set aside

Sauce:

1. While linguine and meatballs are cooking, prepare sauce on the stovetop
2. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until barely beginning to brown around the edges. Add canned tomatoes to the pan, then add 1/2 cup of water to tomato can, swirl around to catch the extra tomato juices and add to the pan. Season with salt, red pepper flakes and oregano.
3. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low (or as low as you can go without losing your simmer), and cook for about 20 minutes. As your sauce cooks, continually smash the whole tomatoes with your spoon, slowly breaking them apart, until no large chunks remain.
4. Remove from heat, add linguine and meatballs to pan, and gently toss until coated.
5. Divide into individual bowls, top with parmesan cheese, and serve

At Northbridge we love working with local farms and vendors to make sure our residents enjoy the freshest food. To learn more about our Eat Fresh, Eat Local Signature program click here!