Ted Allen's Spaghetti and Spicy Meatballs

The "Food Network" star shares his gourmet recipe!

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Everyone loves homemade sauce, but making your own marinara can take a lot of time and patience. So iMag paired up with Food Network star, Ted Allen of the hit show "Chopped," for a gourmet spaghetti dish that won’t have you spending hours in the kitchen!

Spaghetti and Spicy Meatballs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For pasta:

1 Pound dried spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine

For meatballs:

1 Medium onion, chopped fine
2 Cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/3 Cup chicken stock
1/4 Cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 Pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon salt

For sauce:

1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
3 Medium garlic cloves, chopped or sliced, whatever is easiest
1 Bay leaf
1 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
2 Cups low-sodium chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/2 Teaspoon sugar
10 Leaves fresh basil, chopped

Directions for Meatballs:

- In a large bowl, using your hands, mix all ingredients until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork (you don’t want to compact the meat too much). Put a little oil on your hands and form loosely form ingredients into golf-ball sized meatballs—do not compress tightly.

- Put 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium. Gently add meatballs and brown on all sides; this will take about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels while you make the sauce.

Directions for Spaghetti and Sauce:

- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

- Add the onion, garlic, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook covered until the onion is soft and breaking down, 8 to 10 minutes.

- Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, along with the juices and the sugar, and the browned meatballs, and bring to a simmer, and cook for one hour.

- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and basil leaves, and taste for seasoning.

- About 15 minutes before meatballs and sauce are done, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt generously. Add pasta and cook according to directions, testing one or two noodles a minute or two early to make sure you don’t overcook. Drain noodles well and serve with meatballs.

For more great recipes check out iMag's Food Page.

As a food, wine, style and entertainment expert, Ted Allen has perfected the art of the “clean-up,” which as it turns out, is just as important as preparing the meal. Ted has teamed up with Cascade to launch the first ever “Best Food Merger Hall of Fame,” where consumers can vote for the tastiest, yet hardest to clean popular food parings of all time. The pairings include spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken with gravy. By simply visiting www.CascadeFoodMergers.com people can register their votes plus share their own cooking and cleaning challenges.