Nothing says cozy like spaghetti with meatballs, especially when the meatballs are a generational favorite passed down from the adept hands of a nonna. This is my Nonna’s trademark meatball and, like any good granddaughter should, I can confidently say no other version competes with it.
Spaghetti with large meatballs is often thought of as an Italian-American classic, and that’s largely true. The generous size of the meatballs, the pairing with spaghetti, and the large serving reflect the way Italian cooking evolved in America, where meat was more accessible and meals became a little more plentiful.
In Italy, meatballs are traditionally served in a few different ways, depending on the region. Often, polpette are smaller and served on their own as a second course, or gently simmered in sauce without pasta. That said, there are plenty of regional exceptions. In Puglia, meatballs are sometimes paired with orecchiette or pasta maritati, while in Abruzzo, spaghetti alla chitarra with meatballs is perhaps the closest Italian cousin to the spaghetti and meatballs many of us know today. In Naples, meatballs famously make an appearance folded into rich lasagne, layered between pasta, sauce, and cheese.
These are the meatballs I grew up eating: invented by my Nonna, and carried on by my Mum. Big, tender meatballs in rich tomato sauce, and served atop spaghetti to catch every last drop. It’s the dish I return to when I need comfort, and the recipe I’ll always come back to.
Please enjoy the photographic proof of me enjoying this very meal in my earlier years below.
When I first looked at the photo, I was trying to figure out who was sitting next to me in the seat that was always reserved for my Mum. It looked like her, but I didn’t recognize the hand. She always wore her wedding ring and this hand doesn’t have a wedding ring.
Then it clicked. She was the one rolling the meatballs that night, which meant she had taken her rings off.
As I look down at my own hands while typing these words, ringless from rolling meatballs the night before, I feel a jolt. In this moment, my hands match hers in the photo. Both ringless from the same work, decades apart.
It makes me realize how special the passing down of recipes really is. Not the written words so much, but what’s carried in our memories and expressed through the hands. I have fond memories of being in the kitchen as a child, helping Mum roll meatballs and trying so hard to keep their sizes consistent. Now, making this recipe feels like second nature.
This photo captures a moment in time and signifies something I still share with my Mum, years after she passed. It makes me feel close to her, knowing that my hands now carry on the same important work hers once did.
Is there a recipe you learnt from your parents that you still cook now? Let me know below!
This recipe is part of my illustrated recipes cookbook. Subscribe to my Substack, Instagram, or TikTok, to follow its journey.
Meatballs
Ingredients
1 loaf rustic Italian bread (durum or similar), crust removed
500g pork mince
500g veal mince
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Olive oil, for frying
Method
Remove the crust from the bread. Tear the bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor until you have about 3 cups of breadcrumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, tear the bread into very small pieces by hand.
In a large bowl, combine the pork mince, veal mince, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, parsley, egg, and salt.
Use your hands to gently mix everything together until just combined. Don’t overwork the mixture.
To check the seasoning, flatten a small piece of the mixture and cook it in a pan. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Roll the mixture into evenly sized meatballs, roughly the size of a golf ball.
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning occasionally, until golden. They don’t need to be cooked through at this stage (about 10–12 minutes).
Transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3–4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 bottle passata
Water (to rinse cans)
Kosher salt
Dried oregano (rubbed between fingers)
Fresh basil
Method
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook gently until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, allowing it to caramelise slightly.
Pour in the crushed whole peeled tomatoes and passata. Rinse both vessels with water and add to the pot.
Season with salt and a generous pinch of dried oregano.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 1½–2 hours, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is rich.
In the last 20 minutes of simmering, add the browned meatballs.
Just before serving, stir through fresh basil.
Serve with spaghetti, rigatoni, or fresh tagliatelle, and plenty of Parmigiano