This is a very basic dish and yes… I Know that it isn’t that difficult to make scratch meatballs but, frankly, I like having the frozen ones on hand… they are quick and easy and pretty darned tasty. I keep a bag in the freezer to use for all sorts of dishes. One thing I don’t always like in the spaghetti sauce is the meatballs texture so I wanted to try something different this time.
The sauce is pretty much my usual: chopped green & red peppers, onions, mushrooms – I keep the chunks fairly big so they won’t disappear in the simmering process, lightly browned in olive oil. One can chopped tomatoes, drained and a small can of tomato paste added. Chopped garlic, 3Tbsp dried Italian seasoning, and a hearty splash of red wine (probably about 1c). I keep this at a fairly hard simmer so that it will reduce. Browned the meatballs thoroughly in olive oil and put them to the side instead of adding them to the sauce.
When my Heart got home from skiing, I served up the cooked spaghetti (rice pasta) topped with the browned meatballs and then the sauce. The meatballs had the more solid consistency I was looking for – I think it worked out quite well. YUM!