Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

This is another favorite in our house. I have played around with a number of meatball recipes, and have found that adding grated onion and garlic not only gives a ton of flavor to the meatballs, but they keep them incredibly moist! If I'm in a rush, I sometimes bake the meatballs and then add them to the sauce, but cooking them in the sauce for as long as possible makes the most flavorful meatballs and sauce, so I try to do that when I have the time.

The Ingredients:

-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 spanish onion, fine dice
-1 clove garlic, smashed
-¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-½ cup wine (Whatever you have on hand. Stock will also work if you prefer)
-2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
-Salt and Pepper, to taste
-2 lbs ground turkey
-½ Spanish onion, grated on Microplane or box grater
-2 cloves garlic, grated on Microplane
-1 tbsp minced parsley (or other herbs you have on hand - I have also used oregano and basil in this recipe)
-½ cup breadcrumbs (I get breadcrumbs from my local bakery - a bit of a splurge, but I keep a bag of the breadcrumbs wrapped tightly in the freezer and they last for months!)
-1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
-1 tsp tomato paste
-½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
-1 egg
-1 box spaghetti

The Directions:

1. Heat dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sweat diced onion, about 5 minutes. Add 1 smashed clove of garlic and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, sauté 1 minute. Deglaze with wine (red or white, whatever you have on hand), and reduce 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, tomato paste, grated garlic, grated onion, minced parsley, red pepper flakes, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Form turkey mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs and drop into simmering sauce. Cover and simmer. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors will combine. I try to cook for about 2 hours, but cook at least until the meatballs are cooked through. Stir occasionally.
4. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Toss spaghetti with half a cup of tomato sauce, then serve and top with more sauce and meatballs.

I served this tonight with some simple roast broccolini: I tossed broccolini with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a splash of olive oil, then sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano, and roasted at 450°F for about 15 minutes, until the tips started turning brown and a bit crispy. It's a perfect hearty dinner for the cold weather we've been having. And we have plenty of meatballs left over for sandwiches during the week!