What is it about homemade spaghetti and meatballs that just warms my heart and makes me feel all cozy inside?  Maybe it’s because it is such a comforting dish, especially when you have your special spaghetti sauce simmering in a large pot on the stove all day and the house smells like a delicious Italian restaurant. 🙂

Making homemade spaghetti sauce does take some time especially since the sauce must simmer for a few hours, but is so worth it when your all done.  My kids love meatballs, especially big juicy ones full of flavor.  When I stumbled across a friend of mines site, Angie from Eclectic Recipes, who also writes for the Family Kitchen, my drooling could not be contained.  I absolutely loved the stuffing of fresh mozzarella inside each meatball, who wouldn’t be excited with cheese oozing out.

I truly hope you make this on a long weekend day and enjoy this delicious spaghetti recipe, its a real crowd pleaser.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

adapted from Angie Mcgowan from Eclectic Recipes via Family Kitchen

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

12 oz sweet Italian ground sausage (or spicy if you prefer)

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 onion, chopped fine

1/2 lb mozzarella, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

Sauce

2 – 28 oz cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 – 8 oz package baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian blend seasoning (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, and sage)   –   OR     –    about

1/2 cup fresh torn basil and 2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

1/4 cup good red wine (optional)

Extra Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti

olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Preheat a large pot. Drizzle with olive oil. Add mushrooms, onions and bell peppers for the sauce. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add salt and garlic.

Saute for 2 – 3 minutes and add crushed tomatoes. Add dried herbs, if using, and season with salt to taste. Add wine if using. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 4-6 hours.

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl. Combine well with a fork, or like I do, with my hands. Take each mozzarella cube and form a meatball around it.

When you have all the meatballs formed, preheat a large skillet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook meatballs over medium heat until browned on all sides.

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. With sauce at a simmer, as meatballs finish cooking, drop them in the sauce. Let simmer 5 – 10 minutes and serve. If using fresh herbs, add them now, and wilt in before serving.