Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ey! Oh!  It's-a spaghetti and meat-a-balls-a!!  I found this recipe in one of my Teresa Giudice cookbooks (yes, I have all her cookbooks).  Teresa may be losing it a bit on Real Housewives this season but the girl can still cook.  We made homemade marinara sauce to go with these but you can use any red sauce you like (even store-bought if you need to save some time).  When I made the meatballs for Mother's Day lunch, I doubled the recipe and ended up with about 30 golf ball-sized meatballs.  But whether you're cooking for four or fourteen, it's a super easy, toss-everything-in-a-bowl kind of recipe that you can easily turn out.  Hope you enjoy!

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

What You Need:
- 1 pound ground beef (ground turkey would also work well)
- 1/2 c. to 1 c. dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1/2 c. freshly grated Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- red sauce of your choice

What You Do:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with oil.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning, milk, cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Knead everything together (with clean hands!) until all the ingredients are combined.  The mixture should be soft but not sopping wet.  If it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs (alternatively, if it's too dry then add more milk).

3. Scoop up a bit of the mixture and shape into golf ball-sized balls.  If you want fewer but larger meatballs, shape into egg-sized balls.  Be careful not to crush the meat between your palms to shape - just work it gently and it'll do what you want.

4. Place balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and bake until browned, about 30 minutes.

5. While the meatballs are in the oven, bring your sauce to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add the meatballs and let simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.  Serve over spaghetti and enjoy!