Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

What is it about homemade spaghetti and meatballs that just warms my heart and makes me feel all cozy inside?  Maybe it’s because it is such a comforting dish, especially when you have your special spaghetti sauce simmering in a large pot on the stove all day and the house smells like a delicious Italian restaurant. 🙂

Making homemade spaghetti sauce does take some time especially since the sauce must simmer for a few hours, but is so worth it when your all done.  My kids love meatballs, especially big juicy ones full of flavor.  When I stumbled across a friend of mines site, Angie from Eclectic Recipes, who also writes for the Family Kitchen, my drooling could not be contained.  I absolutely loved the stuffing of fresh mozzarella inside each meatball, who wouldn’t be excited with cheese oozing out.

I truly hope you make this on a long weekend day and enjoy this delicious spaghetti recipe, its a real crowd pleaser.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

12 oz sweet Italian ground sausage (or spicy if you prefer)

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 onion, chopped fine

1/2 lb mozzarella, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

Sauce

2 – 28 oz cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 – 8 oz package baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian blend seasoning (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, and sage)   –   OR     –    about

1/2 cup fresh torn basil and 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

1/4 cup good red wine (optional)

Extra Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti

olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Preheat a large pot. Drizzle with olive oil. Add mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for the sauce. Sautee until mushrooms are tender. Add salt and garlic.

Sautee for 2 – 3 minutes and add crushed tomatoes. Add dried herbs, if using, and season with salt to taste. Add wine if using. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 4-6 hours.

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl. Combine well with a fork, or like I do, with my hands. Take each mozzarella cube and form a meatball around it.

When you have all the meatballs formed, preheat a large skillet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook meatballs over medium heat until browned on all sides.

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. With sauce at a simmer, as meatballs finish cooking, drop them in the sauce. Let simmer 5 – 10 minutes and serve. If using fresh herbs, add them now, and wilt in before serving.

Notes

adapted from Angie Mcgowan from Eclectic Recipes via Family Kitchen