She Strengthens

Elevate Your Pasta Game with Spaghetti and Bone Marrow Meatballs

Are you ready to experience the ultimate Italian-American comfort food? Look no further than this game-changing Spaghetti and Bone Marrow Meatballs recipe from chef Richard Blais’s new cookbook, So Good.

The Secret to Light and Fluffy Meatballs

The key to these mouthwatering meatballs lies in the addition of ricotta cheese, which adds moisture and tenderness. Fresh herbs like basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, and parsley also play a crucial role in infusing the meat with flavor. To take it to the next level, chef Blais incorporates bone marrow into the marinara sauce, giving it a rich and velvety texture.

A Hearty Marinara Sauce Like No Other

This isn’t your average marinara sauce. With the addition of tomato paste, red wine, and bone marrow, it’s a depth of flavor you’ve never experienced before. The slow-cooked sauce simmers for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together perfectly.

Get Ready to Cook

To start, sauté onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large pot until the onions are translucent. Then, add tomato paste and cook until it begins to caramelize. Next, add canned tomatoes, red wine, and bone marrow, and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes.

Meatball Magic

In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, ground pork, ground beef, and fresh herbs. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Shape the mixture into Ping-Pong-sized meatballs and sear them in a hot skillet until lightly browned.

Bring it All Together

Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce and meatballs, tossing everything together until well coated. Finish with toasted bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese for the ultimate comfort food experience.

Yield: 4 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Active Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 32-ounce can whole tomatoes and their juices
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup bone marrow, chopped
• 12 ounces dry spaghetti
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs, toasted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

More Pasta Recipes to Love

If you can’t get enough of pasta, be sure to check out our other mouthwatering recipes, including Basic Garlicky Spaghetti, Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Spaghetti, Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti, and Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Feta, and Herbs.