Welp, the week is halfway over. Yippee, skippee! I’ve been kind of lazy this week. This often happens when I get all of my cooking and baking done at the beginning of the week. I usually plan to at least recipe test once a day, but since I did so much at the beginning of the week, the thought of stepping foot inside my kitchen makes me want to cry. It’s ok though. I give it one more day, and I’ll be ready to get back into it. I made this recipe for spaghetti and mozzarella-stuffed meatballs the other night for Zach and I and they were the perfect comfort food as we were being pounded once again with snow. Sometimes we just crave a big bowl of this stuff, but this time I decided to step things up a notch and throw cheese into basically every component. Cheese is one ingredient that I could NOT live without and this spaghetti and mozzarella-stuffed meatballs pay tribute to some of my favorite cheeses!
This recipe is pretty standard. I used my favorite store-bought marinara for this recipe, but feel free to make your own if you wish. Make sure that you don’t buy fresh mozzarella for stuffing the meatballs with. You definitely want the block in this case. It won’t be as messy. Ground beef can be substituted for lamb. I will not be offended if you do this. Feel free to get as creative as you want!
I’m basically obsessed with burrata. I literally put it on everything, and I’m one of those weirdos that likes a cool and refreshing ricotta, fresh mozzarella or fresh burrata on top of my pasta. It’s like it brings the entire dish together…and no, if you were wondering I don’t do the same with cottage cheese. I hate the stuff, but I know a couple of special people in my life that do. *wink wink* You know who you are. ;)
Ok, well I’m going to keep things short and sweet today because I feel like I’m totally rambling. Pair this recipe for spaghetti and mozzarella-stuffed meatballs with a lighter beer. Since tomato sauce tends to be super acidic, it’s not the easiest dish to pair with. It will often alter the taste of the beer making it taste sweeter than it actually is. I would suggest a pilsner or light wheat beer should do the trick. Recipe is below! Enjoy your day! xo
Yields 4
15 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4-6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 jar of your favorite store-bought marinara sauce
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- fresh burrata cheese, sliced (for serving)
- chopped fresh basil (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lamb, pork, eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. With clean hands are a large, heavy spoon mix the ingredients together until combined. If the mixture is too wet to form meatballs, add more panko until it is easier to handle. Taking 2-3 tablespoons of the meat mixture, roll into a ball and then push a piece of mozzarella into the center. Wrap the meat around the mozzarella tightly and then place it on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Repeat this step for the rest of the meat. Cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Once the meatballs have chilled, heat the canola oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Pour in the marinara sauce, making sure to partially coat the meatballs. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and place it in the oven to finish cooking the meatballs, about 25-30 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Serve the spaghetti with meatballs and sauce on top. Add slices of fresh burrata on top if desired and sprinkle with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
For the mozzarella, make sure you buy the processed mozzarella that you find in block form. Fresh mozzarella would be very difficult to handle in this situation.
