Spaghetti and Meatballs alla Nonna

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Of course! “Alla Nonna” means “in the style of Grandma,” and that’s exactly the spirit of this recipe. It’s not about fancy techniques; it’s about generations of wisdom, about patience, and about the profound comfort that comes from a pot of sauce simmering for hours on the stove. This is the version I learned from my friend’s nonna in Naples, where the meatballs are impossibly tender and the sauce is rich, sweet, and deeply savory. It’s a recipe that demands your time, not your complexity, and pays you back a hundredfold.

Quick Look

Prep	Cook	Total	Feeds	Level
45 min	3+ hours	4+ hours	6-8	A slow, loving project

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The meatballs are ethereally tender: A secret nonna trick ensures they’re light as a cloud.
• The sauce is the star: Slow-cooked for hours, it develops a complex, sweet, and rich flavor you can’t rush.
• It fills your home with the best aroma: The scent of tomatoes, basil, and meat simmering is pure nostalgia.
• It’s a complete, celebratory meal: This is the dish you make for birthdays, holidays, and Sunday dinners.

Grab These

• For the “Sunday Gravy” Sauce:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 large carrot, peeled and left whole (the secret sweetener!)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 large sprig fresh basil, plus more for finishing
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• For the Meatballs:
• 1 cup day-old bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• ½ lb ground pork
• ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Nonna’s choice for its sharper bite)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• For Serving:
• 1.5 lbs spaghetti
• Extra grated cheese for serving

Let’s Make It
Start the Sauce First: In a very large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Push the onions to the side and add the tomato paste to the center of the pot. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells sweet. This is a nonna trick called pinzimonio that deepens the flavor immensely.

Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that too. Stir in the oregano, the whole carrot, and the basil sprig. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bring to a very low simmer, then partially cover and let it bubble gently for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You can let it go for 3 or 4. The longer, the better.

Meanwhile, Make the Meatballs: In a small bowl, combine the torn bread and milk. Mash it with a fork into a smooth, thick paste (the panade). Let it sit for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread mixture, Pecorino Romano, parsley, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. Now, here is Nonna’s cardinal rule: use your hands and mix only until everything is just combined. Do not overmix! Overmixing makes tough meatballs.

With lightly oiled hands, gently form the mixture into large, golf-ball-sized meatballs. Don’t pack them tightly; just coax them into a loose shape.

The Grand Union: After the sauce has simmered for at least 90 minutes, gently nestle the raw meatballs directly into the simmering sauce. Do not stir for the first 10 minutes to let them set. Then, cover the pot and let them cook gently in the sauce for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cooked through. The meatballs will poach in the sauce, making them incredibly tender and flavoring the sauce from within.

To Serve: About 20 minutes before the meatballs are done, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente.

Remove the whole carrot and the spent basil sprig from the sauce. Toss the drained spaghetti with a few ladles of the sauce in a large serving bowl.

Top with the meatballs, more sauce, and a final tear of fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately, passing extra cheese at the table.

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	~ 680 kcal
Protein	35g
Carbohydrates	85g
Fat	22g
Fiber	6g
Sugar	10g
*Note:	Values are estimates

Variations & Add-Ins

• All-in-One Pot: Many nonnas brown pork ribs or Italian sausage links and simmer them right in the sauce with the meatballs.
• A Touch of Heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
• Extra Herby: Stir in a tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano at the very end.

Serving Ideas

• Serve family-style in a large, warmed bowl for everyone to dig into.
• The only necessary side is a large, crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut the richness.
• Plenty of crusty, warm bread for la scarpetta—the “little shoe” to mop up every last bit of sauce.

Storage & Reheating

• Storage: This is arguably even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: The sauce and meatballs freeze perfectly for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Gently reheat in a covered pot on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water if needed.

Nonna’s Notes (My Two Cents)

• Pro-Tip 1: The whole carrot is Nonna’s secret weapon. It simmers in the sauce, lending a natural sweetness that balances the tomatoes’ acidity, and is discarded before serving.
• Pro-Tip 2: Adding the meatballs raw to the sauce is the most crucial step. It keeps them tender and allows their juices to become one with the “gravy,” creating a far more flavorful sauce than if you browned them first.

You Asked, I’m Answering
Q: Why crush the tomatoes by hand?
A: It creates a wonderful, varied texture—some chunkier pieces, some smoother—that is far superior to the uniform texture of pre-crushed tomatoes. It’s a small step with a big payoff.

Q: My sauce is a bit acidic. What did I do wrong?
A: You likely didn’t cook it long enough, or your tomatoes were very acidic. The long, slow cook time and the carrot should mellow it. If it’s still sharp, a tiny pinch of sugar or baking soda can help balance it.