Verns Southern Style Spaghetti and Meatballs
Makes 8 servings. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 3 hours. This recipe has been passed down in my family for many years and is a favorite. For a flavor variation, try a combination of beef and pork in the meatballs.
Makes 8 servings. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 3 hours. This recipe has been passed down in my family for many years and is a favorite. For a flavor variation, try a combination of beef and pork in the meatballs.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- sauce
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- meatball
- ----- or 3 pounds pork chops (optional)
- ----- or 3 pounds ballpark franks (optional)
- ----- or 3 pounds pig tails (optional)
- parmesan or romano cheese for topping
- 2 tbs garlic powder
- 2 tbs oil for browning meatballs
- natures seasonings to taste
- 2 cans stewed tomatoes 15oz.
- 2 cans 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- ~cooked pasta of choice
- Carbohydrate 6.16793312834295 g
- Cholesterol 115.66605435 mg
- Fat 25.6984434375714 g
- Fiber 1.16082124650229 g
- Protein 32.6896829693826 g
- Saturated Fat 10.0130718590909 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (261g)
- Sodium 239.17439907654 mg
- Sugar 5.00711188184067 g
- Trans Fat 3.70328969397873 g
- Calories 392 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine thoroughly the ground meat, onion, cheese, and seasonings. Form golf ball size meatballs and brown in oiled skillet. Set aside when done.
- Instead of meatball, break up the ground beef in skillet.
- Instead of ground beef, try pork chops, or ballpark franks or my Favorite of all time is Pig Tails, this one has a favor that is out of this world GOOD.
- In a thick bottom large pot with oil added, simmer on low heat the stewed tomatoes and tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water for 1 or 2 hours without the seasonings. Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time if sauce gets too thick. You do want a thick sauce. My opinion the thicker the better. Stir to prevent sticking.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir and then add the meatballs. Cook on low heat for one more hour or as this old Southerner says - "Use your own judgment if it is enough (on the cooking time)" and maybe add a li'l more water if needed. I perfer the sauce to be thick. It just don't taste near as good when the sauce is thin like water. Optional - Add a tablespoon at a time (15 minutes) of flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of hot oil from cooked meat to thicken, stiring. until disired thickness has been reached.
- Serve over your favorite pasta.
- Serve with Vern's Southern Style Fryed Potatos with onion.
- Serve with Vern's Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits.
Deep red tomato paste coats the back of a wooden spoon in a thick, clinging layer, while browned ground beef releases savory lipids into the simmering pot. This combination defines a distinct style of long-simmered regional pasta sauce that relies heavily on preserved flavor bases.
Using canned stewed tomatoes and concentrated tomato paste changes the chemical composition of the dish compared to summer-ripe fresh fruit. Canned tomatoes lack the high moisture content and fluctuating acidity of fresh harvests, which allows them to reduce into a dense base without requiring hours of preliminary straining. Simmering this mixture in a heavy-bottomed pot prevents scorching as natural sugars concentrate over low heat.
Controlling moisture levels remains the single technique that determines success or failure here. Add water in quarter-cup increments only when the reduction threatens to stick to the vessel floor, maintaining a thick consistency that clings to pasta rather than pooling on the plate.
Regional variations allow cooks to substitute three pounds of pork chops, ballpark franks, or cured pig tails for the traditional ground beef meatballs. Each alternative introduces distinct proteins and rendered fats that alter the final viscosity of the sauce.
