The meatballs and sauce are cooked in the slow cooker for this traditional Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe.
You could also serve the meatballs over creamy polenta or on a sandwich with melted provolone.
Stir in breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup onion, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
Using 1/4 cup for each, make 16 meatballs and place in a 6-quart slow cooker.
To prepare sauce & spaghetti: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add 1 cup onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add wine and boil for 1 minute.
Add crushed and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.
30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cook the spaghetti until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.
Spoon any fat off the sauce; add oregano.
Serve the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti with extra Parmesan, if desired.
Reheat sauce to a simmer before adding to slow cooker.
To make ahead: Freeze cooked meatballs in sauce airtight for up to 3 months.
Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
To make fine breadcrumbs, process until very fine.
One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.
For store-bought coarse dry breadcrumbs we like Ian’s brand, labeled Panko breadcrumbs.
Find them at well-stocked supermarkets.
Cover and gently simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1 hour.
For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
