My Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs

I am aware that I have a bajillion recipes for spaghetti and meatballs on here, but this one takes the cake.  If you prefer a plate of overcooked noodles, and a blob of dark red, salty, store-bought sauce on top with frozen meatballs, go ahead and close the tab.  This is more of  restaurant-style spaghetti where less is more.  When I told my husband that this is the spaghetti I was making, he busted into a Celtic riverdance.  It's his favorite, and I think it's mine, too!  The sauce has so much flavor, and the meatballs are tender and flavorful as well.  Give it a shot!  You won't regret it! 

 My Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs
source: An old beat-up stained photo copied paper from my mom

Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together:
1/2 c unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. plus 2 T Parmesan cheese
1/4 c whole milk
1/4 c beef broth
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley or 1 T dried parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1 T dried oregano
1/2 T minced garlic
1/2 T kosher salt
1/2 T black pepper (tone it down if you have kids)
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (again, use less if you don't like the flavor heat)

Add:
1 lb ground beef

Stir together and shape into meatballs.  Place them on a greased baking dish, spacing them evenly without touching.

Cover bottom of baking dish with:
1 c low sodium beef broth

Bake for 25 minutes.  Reserve the pan juices for the sauce.

For the Sauce:

Saute in 1/4 c olive oil:
1 1/2 c yellow onion, diced
Saute for about 4 minutes.

Stir in:
2 t. garlic, minced
Cook for 30 seconds

Add and simmer:
3 cans (14 1/ oz) whole plum tomatoes, crushed (I used diced and put them in a food chopped before adding them to the sauce.  I'm not a huge fan of tomato chunks.)
1/2 c reserved meatball pan drippings (or as much as you have)
1/2 minced fresh parsley (or 2 T dried)
1 T sugar
1 t crushed red pepper flakes (use less, if desired)
salt to taste

Simmer this for 15 minutes.

Start boiling the water for the pasta.

Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for ten minutes.

Cook 1 lb. pasta according to package directions.  Cook to al dente.  Drain the pasta.

Stir the noodles into the sauce and toss well to coat.

Top with Parmesan cheese.

This stuff is so good.  I don't know why I ever even tried any other recipes!  This one is perfect!  The most perfect spaghetti and meatballs in the entire world!  No universe!  Because I'm sure that there are some martians out there somewhere that are really big into Italian food, but they've got nothing on this!