How to Make a Giant Spaghetti Stuffed Meatball

Опубликовал Admin

25-02-2017, 19:20

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Take your spaghetti and meatball dish to a whole new level! This meal is made up of a three pound giant meatball that's stuffed with spaghetti, baked, and then topped off with plenty of tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. Whether you're looking for a creative dinner or a new way to spice up a boring dish, this jumbo-sized stuffed meatball just might be a good fit and will satisfy your tongue's spaghetti and meatball craving.

Makes: 4-8 servings

Making the Spaghetti and Meatball Mixture

Boil the dry pasta in a large pot of salted water. Cook for about 7-8 minutes until the spaghetti is al dente.
Drain the spaghetti in a colander and shake it around to remove excess water.
Saute the olive oil and garlic in a large iron skillet. Cook over medium heat until fragrant.
Add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
Sprinkle in the salt, red pepper, basil, and dried oregano. Mix well and bring the heat down to a simmer until it starts to thicken.
Fold in the spaghetti with one cup of the tomato sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully coated. Set aside the spaghetti for later, and leave the extra tomato sauce for garnish at the end.
Make the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, parsley, garlic, eggs, seltzer water, salt, breadcrumbs, Pecorino Eomano cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well until fully combined.
Remove one-third of the meatball mixture and set aside.

Stuffing and Baking

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 175° Celsius.
Cover a large oven-safe bowl with aluminum foil.
Press down the meatball mixture firmly and mold it on the bowl.
Stuff the meatball with the spaghetti and spread it around to fill the meatball.
Cover the meatball with the remaining one-third cup of meat. Press down firmly and close the edges to create the giant meatball.
Bake the giant meatball in the oven for about one hour until it fully cooks.
Serve. Remove the meatball from the oven and place it on a serving plate. Garnish the meatball with the rest of the sauce and the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti

4 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the Meatball

3 pounds 80% lean ground beef
½ small yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 eggs
1 tablespoon plain seltzer
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Tips

Consider stuffing the giant meatball with vegetables for more flavor.
When molding the meatball on the bowl, be sure the sides are thick enough to hold itself.
Ensure the meat you use for the meatball is 80 percent lean. This helps keep the meatball firm, but also delicate when eaten.

Warnings

Be sure the giant meatball gets plenty of time to bake. The meatball may look cooked on the outside, but could be raw in the inside. Double-check the meatball with a cooking thermometer to be sure it has fully baked.