Mrs. Frank Sinatra's Spaghetti And Meatballs
Mrs. Frank Sinatra’s spaghetti and meatballs is exactly what I expected. The best meatballs and sauce I have ever tasted in my life!!
If you don’t know who Frank Sinatra is, I feel sorry for you because your just missing out on some great music! Although I believe he had a few wives, this recipe is Nancy Sinatras, Mrs. Frank Sinatra’s spaghetti and meatballs. His first wife to be exact.
This is the photo I originally found on Pinterest. I came across this a while ago, and thought it was so cool!
Finally, I went for it, and copied her recipe as much as I could. I have to say, she wasn’t very clear with certain directions. I did have to re read them quite a few times! But that’s ok, its Nancy Sinatra’s recipe, and its cool!!
Lucky for you guys I re wrote the directions so its a little more clear for you.
One of the directions that confused me was when she said to “strain tomatoes, add puree to the juice.” I literally had to re read that about 10 times until I finally understood, or think I understood what she meant.
We don’t use the actual tomatoes that are in the can. We are using the juices that they come in, and the juices that are strained from the tomatoes! So, I just dumped the canned tomatoes in a fine strainer, and over a bowl I pressed down on the tomatoes with my hand to pretty much crush the juice out of them. And thats what she meant by “juice”. Ding ding ding!
The sauce has some pretty simple ingredients in it. One big can of tomato puree, one big can of Italian peeled tomatoes (for the juice), and onion, garlic clove, salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme!
Another step that confused me a little was when she said we aren’t using the actual onion or garlic that we brown in the oil. Her idea was to only flavor the oil with the garlic and onion, smart!!
I must say, I truly felt like an Italian women making this recipe!! I mean, I have some Italian in my DNA, but I just imagined being Nancy Sinatra herself (ha, yeah right!) cooking in the kitchen for Frank, a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner!
Now, I must say…I never really have made spaghetti and meatballs. At least this way. Ive baked meatballs before, in the oven, and then added jarred sauce with some pasta. But this is nothing like that. The flavors are incredibly different when it comes to homemade, obviously!
Mrs. Frank Sinatras recipe for spaghetti and meatballs is a clever recipe! She cooked her meatballs in the pasta sauce, which I’m thinking helps alot with the flavor the sauce has. Its incredible! But first, she said to brown your meatballs. That was the very first step. Mixing together all of your ingredients for the meatballs, and browning them in a sauté pan with some olive oil.
After your meatballs have browned pretty much all over, you want to set your meatballs on a plate to the side. Then using the same pan, leaving any oil or juices from the meatballs, add your 1/2 cup of olive oil, and brown your chopped up onion and garlic clove. This took about 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat.
Once your onion and garlic are browned, strain the oil in a bowl and get rid of onion and garlic.
You then want to strain your canned tomatoes, like I said, in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to catch the juices. Smash the tomatoes in strainer with hand until no more juice comes out.
In that same bowl that caught the tomato juice, you want to add your can of tomato puree and mix together.
In the same pan you used to sauté garlic and onion, add your olive oil which you browned garlic and onion in, and tomato puree mixture.
Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Mix around carefully and then add your meatballs to the sauce.
Cook covered for 1 hour.
Make sure to cook your spaghetti according to package directions just in time so its ready for when your meatballs are ready.
You should have smelt the aromas coming from the meatballs and sauce. It was amazing!…well, I guess you will be able to experience the smells if you make this recipe!!!
Mrs. Frank Sinatra’s recipe for spaghetti and meatballs will be your new, favorite go to recipe for Sunday night dinners!
Enjoy!!
Make sure to check out my recipe for one pan roasted gnocchi and vegetables https://thehungrylyoness.com/recipe/one-pan-roasted-gnocchi-vegetables/
Mrs. Frank Sinatra's Spaghetti And Meatballs
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1/2 lb. Ground Beef
- 1/2 lb. Ground Pork
- 1 Clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 Cup Grated Italian Cheese I used grated parmesan
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs, italian seasoned
- 1 tsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For The Sauce
- 1 29 oz. Can of tomato puree
- 1 29 oz. Can of italian peeled tomatoes strain tomatoes and keep juice
- 1 Small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Ground parsley
- 1/2 Cup Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all of your ingredients together for the meatballs in a large bowl.
- Form meat mixture into meatballs.( I got 6 large meatballs)
- Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat and brown meatballs for about 5-7 minutes rolling them around occasionally to get them browned all around.
- Take meatballs out of pan and set aside (keeping the fat/juice in saute pan).
- In the same pan you browned meatballs, using the fats from the meat, brown your onion and garlic for about 8-10 minutes on medium low heat.
- Once the onion and garlic are browned, strain oil into a bowl and get rid of onion and garlic.
- Over a large bowl, strain your canned tomatoes. Press down on tomatoes with hands to squeeze as much juice and liquid out as you can.
- Add your canned tomato puree to same bowl with tomato juice. Mix together.
- In the same saute pan you used to brown your garlic and onion, add the tomato puree mixture and your olive oil which you browned your garlic and onion in.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper and thyme. Mix around carefully.
- Add your meatballs to the sauce.
- Cover pan and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions in time so its ready for when your meatballs are ready.
- Enjoy!
