Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe From Patrick McKee
The Portland chef makes spaghetti and meatballs
At home, Patrick McKee, executive chef at Paley's Place in Portland, Oregon, works with a different kitchen brigade. His two children, Isabella, 12, and Henry, 8, often cook alongside Dad. Says McKee, "We're like the Three Musketeers in the kitchen."
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One dish they make regularly is spaghetti and meatballs, a recipe that McKee, a Kansas City, Missouri, native who has lived in Portland, Oregon, since 1994, attributes to his grandmother. He shared all of his meatball-making secrets with Tasting Table, and gave us a spectacular workhorse recipe for tomato sauce that can be used on your next Big Night.
Recipe adapted from Patrick McKee, Paley's Place, Portland, Oregon
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Get a meatball recipe from the executive chef of Paley's Place in Portland, OR.
servings
4
servings
Ingredients
- Meatballs
- Ground beef (80 percent lean), ½ pound
- Ground veal, ¼ pound
- Ground pork, ¼ pound
- Large egg, 1
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, ¼ pound (finely grated)
- Medium yellow onion, ½ (finely chopped)
- Garlic, 3 cloves (finely chopped)
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves, ¼ cup (finely chopped)
- Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon
- Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup
- Sauce
- Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons
- Medium yellow onion, ½ (finely chopped)
- Garlic cloves, 3 (thinly sliced)
- Red pepper flakes, pinch
- Dry white wine, ½ cup
- Thyme sprigs, 3
- Dried bay leaf, 1
- Canned chopped tomatoes, one 15-ounce box or can (preferably Pomi or San Marzano)
- Tomato paste, one 6-ounce can
- Basil leaves, ½ cup (finely chopped)
- Pasta
- Kosher salt, 2 tablespoons
- Spaghetti, 1 pound
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, ¼ pound (finely grated)
- Basil leaves, ½ cup (roughly chopped)
Directions
- Make the meatballs: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Ground beef Ground veal Ground pork Large egg Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Finely chopped yellow onion Finely chopped garlic Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley ½ teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until thoroughly combined, then form into 16 balls (each a little larger than a golf ball). Place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Make the sauce: In a medium pot set over medium heat, add the Extra-virgin olive oil Finely chopped yellow onion Thinly sliced garlic Red pepper flakes Cook, using the wooden spoon to stir the onions often, until they are tender and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Dry white wine Cook until the wine is nearly absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Then stir in the Thyme sprigs Bay leaf Chopped tomatoes Tomato paste Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, then stir in the Chopped basil leaves Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Fry the meatballs: In a cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Heat the oil until it shimmers, about 2 minutes, then add the shaped meatballs (you may need to cook them in batches and in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil depending upon the size of your pan) and cook until brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes total. Use the tongs to transfer the meatballs to the warm sauce. Once all of the meatballs are cooked, return the sauce to a simmer and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Make the pasta: Fill a large pot with water, add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the Spaghetti Cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, then drain the pasta into a colander, saving ¼ cup of pasta water (to thin the sauce, if needed).
- Divide the spaghetti into 4 bowls. Top each with a few meatballs and some sauce. Finish with the Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Roughly chopped fresh basil