Meatballs spaghetti with homemade sauce

I grew up rarely eating spaghetti, and I always thought that it was the dish with tomato sauce and went with ground beef. Turns out, the term “spaghetti” refers to the noodles type, and the tomato sauce is just one among various types of sauces that can go with it. It is also a new information to me that the tomato-based spaghetti can also be paired with ground sausages and meatballs. It’s interesting to know so, and I truly appreciate the learning process.

My husband’s second favorite dish (after Bun Bo Hue) is spaghetti but we didn’t have it often until very recently. Turns out that is because the premade sauce is quite salty that ruins the taste. Since we got a lot of tomato pastes in hand, aside from making BBQ sauce (which will be shared soon), I thought of making my own spaghetti sauce so that I can adjust the seasoning to our tastes. And here we are with this recipe that we have quite often during the busy time.

So, without further words, let’s make it!

Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

• Spaghetti noodles for 4 portions
• For the meatballs:
  • Italian ground sausage (mild or hot): 1 lb (~450 grams)
  • Garlic: 3 cloves
  • Sweet onion: 1/4 of the whole onion
  • Fresh parsley: 1/4 cup
• For the sauce:
  • Tomato paste (6 oz can): 2 cans (I use the Kirkland one)
  • Broth or water: 12 oz (use the 6-oz can above to measure)
  • Garlic: 5 cloves
  • Sweet onion: 1/4 of the whole onion
  • White wine: 3 oz
  • Sugar: 1.5 – 2 tablespoons (adjusted to taste)
  • Salt: 1.5 tablespoons (adjusted to taste)
  • Fresh parsley: 1/4 cup (more if you prefer)
  • Fresh basil: 1/4 cup (more if you prefer)
  • Italian seasoning: 1/2 tablespoon
  • Oregano: 1 teaspoon (because I like extra oregano)

Preparation:

• Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, fresh parsley (use ~1/4 cup or up to taste) and 1/4 of the whole sweet onions then add them to the ground sausage. Mix well then shape into ~20 meatballs (with 1 lb of ground sausage, it can make ~20 meatballs with the size of a pingpong ball).
• Place a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat. When the pot gets hot, add the meatballs. Set them aside for later when they are fully cooked.
• While waiting for the meatballs to be cooked (~10 minutes total), roughly chop the rest of the garlic and dice the onion.
• Using the oil and fat released from the meatball to sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato pastes and the broth, stir well to homogenize the mixture. Add in the wine, salt, sugar and stir well to prevent local boiling. You can add more water or broth to achieve the desire consistency.
• When the sauce boil back gently (remember to stir occasionally), add the rest of the seasonings and stir well.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the meatballs. Make a few stir to coat the sauce on the meatballs. Keep the heat as low so the sauce stays warm until serving. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles (can be prepared at the same time as the sauce is cooked) and sprinkle some parsley as garnish. Best enjoy with some garlic breads.

Total time: 45 minutes

Note:

• You can always swap the ground sausage with ground beef, just be mindful that it would need to be seasoned.
• I found that adding chopped mushrooms to the meatballs makes them extra delicious.
• You can also make the sauce from other canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, it will require a blending step. I use tomato paste for convenience since I also use it for BBQ sauce and other dishes.

And that’s how I made pasta sauce at home. Hope you would enjoy it!
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