Comments on: Spaghetti With Meatballs http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/ Recipes and Stories from the \'Little Italy\' Communities Across America: An Online Book-in-Progress Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:54:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rose http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-1820 Rose Fri, 19 Nov 2010 04:52:05 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-1820 My mum never fries her meatballs and makes the meat mixture quite soft and usually with home made breadcrumbs, then gently poaches them in the sauce.she adds eggs but I dont, as I find the egg toughens them, this way they are so tender and soft almost fluffy in texture. I usually have to eat a couple as Im dishing up otherwise I find that the meatballs have all disappeared before I even get to sit at the table. Once my mum cooked them and one by one everybody would go and "check" the pot, give a little stir, and when it was time to dish up only about a quarter of the original amount were found in the bottom of the pot. true story. Cheers. My mum never fries her meatballs and makes the meat mixture quite soft and usually with home made breadcrumbs, then gently poaches them in the sauce.she adds eggs but I dont, as I find the egg toughens them, this way they are so tender and soft almost fluffy in texture. I usually have to eat a couple as Im dishing up otherwise I find that the meatballs have all disappeared before I even get to sit at the table. Once my mum cooked them and one by one everybody would go and “check” the pot, give a little stir, and when it was time to dish up only about a quarter of the original amount were found in the bottom of the pot. true story. Cheers.

]]> By: Will Stewart http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-1004 Will Stewart Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:19:48 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-1004 Oh--I almost forgot. My dad once made some undrinkable Elderberry wine that my mom decided was very complementary to Aunt Marion's marinara sauce. Dad had to continue making the wine just so mom could cook with it! Dad and his vino are no longer with us, but I usually put some red wine in the marinara when I make it. Are you aware of any Italian cooks who do this? Oh–I almost forgot. My dad once made some undrinkable Elderberry wine that my mom decided was very complementary to Aunt Marion’s marinara sauce. Dad had to continue making the wine just so mom could cook with it! Dad and his vino are no longer with us, but I usually put some red wine in the marinara when I make it. Are you aware of any Italian cooks who do this?

]]> By: Will Stewart http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-1003 Will Stewart Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:09:48 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-1003 Since you asked, my mother (a Swede) learned to make spaghetti and meat balls from a neighbor, Tony Barone, who passed on his Aunt Marion's recipe. It's very similar to yours, except that Aunt Marion adds finely chopped onion to both the meatballs and the sauce, along with the garlic. She also recommended, "if you've got a piece of pork, add that to the sauce." After browning the meatballs in a frying pan and adding these to the sauce, Aunt Marion instructs us to cook the onion in the fat left in the pan, scraping in the browned bits left from frying the meatballs. To this you add some garlic, and, as the onion becomes brown, you turn up the heat and stir in a teaspoon of sugar. This mixture is then added to the sauce along with the meatballs. I don't recall anyone in Jamestown (NY) ever using the term "gravy", but I have heard it in NJ. Since you asked, my mother (a Swede) learned to make spaghetti and meat balls from a neighbor, Tony Barone, who passed on his Aunt Marion’s recipe. It’s very similar to yours, except that Aunt Marion adds finely chopped onion to both the meatballs and the sauce, along with the garlic. She also recommended, “if you’ve got a piece of pork, add that to the sauce.” After browning the meatballs in a frying pan and adding these to the sauce, Aunt Marion instructs us to cook the onion in the fat left in the pan, scraping in the browned bits left from frying the meatballs. To this you add some garlic, and, as the onion becomes brown, you turn up the heat and stir in a teaspoon of sugar. This mixture is then added to the sauce along with the meatballs. I don’t recall anyone in Jamestown (NY) ever using the term “gravy”, but I have heard it in NJ.

]]> By: Daniel http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-728 Daniel Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:09:01 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-728 Hi again. Since my friend´s family is located in a village which has, as the rest of Sicily, a strong migration past (and sadly, present and even future) , there are so many chances that spaghetti con polpette went from l´America. Once arrived, eggplants may were added in order to put some local flavour into it again. You said it sounds terrific..tastes even better! I will ask him for his recipe and I´ll post it here Regards from Spain, a brother country of Italy. P.S: and sorry for my bad english! Hi again.

Since my friend´s family is located in a village which has, as the rest of Sicily, a strong migration past (and sadly, present and even future) , there are so many chances that spaghetti con polpette went from l´America. Once arrived, eggplants may were added in order to put some local flavour into it again.

You said it sounds terrific..tastes even better! I will ask him for his recipe and I´ll post it here

Regards from Spain, a brother country of Italy.

P.S: and sorry for my bad english!

]]> By: Skip http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-726 Skip Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:48:37 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-726 Many thanks for your comment. It's nice to know we have an audience in Spain. It's interesting to hear about Sicilians eating pasta and meatballs together; particularly with eggplant as well. I've certainly never seen a recipe for it. But it sounds terrific. On my last couple of trips to Italy--particularly to Rome and Florence--I've noticed <em>Pasta con Polpette</em> on the <em>Menu Touristico</em> at various trattorie--primarily aimed at German tourists. But getting back to your Sicilian friend, there has been so much back and forth travel with southerners immigrating to America, then returning to their homeland, that the idea of pasta with meatballs came from America to Italy. Best regards, Skip Lombardi Many thanks for your comment. It’s nice to know we have an audience in Spain.

It’s interesting to hear about Sicilians eating pasta and meatballs together; particularly with eggplant as well. I’ve certainly never seen a recipe for it. But it sounds terrific.

On my last couple of trips to Italy–particularly to Rome and Florence–I’ve noticed Pasta con Polpette on the Menu Touristico at various trattorie–primarily aimed at German tourists.

But getting back to your Sicilian friend, there has been so much back and forth travel with southerners immigrating to America, then returning to their homeland, that the idea of pasta with meatballs came from America to Italy.

Best regards,
Skip Lombardi

]]> By: Daniel http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-722 Daniel Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:36:08 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-722 Hi there from Spain! Great blog you have! About spaghetti with meatballs, I have to say I got a friend from Mazzara del Vallo, Sicillia whose favourite family´s recipe is spaghetti con polpette (italian word for meatballs) He assures me that at least in that part of Sicillia, spaghetti con polpette is a pretty common dish. It´s not the same recipe as you wrote above (includes aubergines, etc) but shares a lot with your recipe You got followers in Spain, thank you for this blog Hi there from Spain!

Great blog you have!

About spaghetti with meatballs, I have to say I got a friend from Mazzara del Vallo, Sicillia whose favourite family´s recipe is spaghetti con polpette (italian word for meatballs)

He assures me that at least in that part of Sicillia, spaghetti con polpette is a pretty common dish.

It´s not the same recipe as you wrote above (includes aubergines, etc) but shares a lot with your recipe

You got followers in Spain, thank you for this blog

]]> By: Skip http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-707 Skip Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:48:56 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-707 Thank you again, Anthony, The fellow in the photograph is a retired Chicago police officer who is just one of the many friends we've made all over the country through Almost Italian. And I can see through your discussion board that you too have reached a large number of like-minded folks. You too are doing a great thing in passing on the old recipes and traditions. All the best, Skip Lombardi Thank you again, Anthony,

The fellow in the photograph is a retired Chicago police officer who is just one of the many friends we’ve made all over the country through Almost Italian. And I can see through your discussion board that you too have reached a large number of like-minded folks. You too are doing a great thing in passing on the old recipes and traditions.

All the best,
Skip Lombardi

]]> By: Anthony Baker http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-704 Anthony Baker Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:18:19 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-704 Love the photo.... You need a bigger pot! :-) Love the photo…. You need a bigger pot! :-)

]]> By: A.Folinazzo http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-702 A.Folinazzo Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:11:52 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-702 Francesca happy holidays to all i saw your site making the calizones they are good out here in lindenhurst not many Italian stores to find them can you send the recipie....I heard you met my Nickie she a good kid but i try to tell where not to go in the city....but she dont listen maybe if it came from you or Frank she would listen.. say hello to Mom & Dad your cousin Anthony Francesca happy holidays to all i saw your site making the calizones they are good out here in lindenhurst not many Italian stores to find them can you send the recipie….I heard you met my Nickie she a good kid but i try to tell where not to go in the city….but she dont listen maybe if it came from you or Frank she would listen..
say hello to
Mom & Dad
your cousin Anthony

]]> By: Pasta Perfect? | Almost Italian http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/comment-page-1/#comment-302 Pasta Perfect? | Almost Italian Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:12:32 +0000 http://almostitalian.com/spaghetti-with-meatballs/#comment-302 [...] the timer goes off, your pasta is done—or done enough. Drain* it and add to whatever warmed sauce you have waiting. Combine pasta and sauce over low heat for up to two minutes. Sit down to a [...] [...] the timer goes off, your pasta is done—or done enough. Drain* it and add to whatever warmed sauce you have waiting. Combine pasta and sauce over low heat for up to two minutes. Sit down to a [...]

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