Mummy Meatballs with Spaghetti

Baked beef meatballs are wrapped with dough strips to create a mummy look, then finished in marinara and served over spaghetti. The dish keeps familiar Italian-American flavors and uses thin dough bands so they bake through with the meatballs.

By Julienne

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 5 g kosher salt divided
• 4000 ml water for boiling pasta
• 450 g ground beef raw
• 30 g plain breadcrumbs dry
• 1 large egg beaten
• 25 g finely grated Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced, for meatballs
• 8 g fresh parsley chopped
• 2 g dried oregano
• 3 g kosher salt divided
• 2 g black pepper ground
• 225 g refrigerated pizza dough rolled out and cut into thin strips
• 15 ml olive oil for brushing
• 320 g spaghetti dry
• 720 ml marinara sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced, for sauce
• 6 g fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it with 5 g of the total salt. The oven is fully preheated and the pasta water is boiling steadily.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Parmesan, minced garlic for the meatballs, parsley, oregano, remaining salt, and black pepper. Mix just until evenly combined. The mixture looks cohesive but not overworked.
3. Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs and arrange them on the lined baking sheet. Wrap each meatball with 2 or 3 thin strips of pizza dough to suggest mummy bandages, leaving small gaps for the meat to show through. Brush the wrapped dough with the olive oil. Each meatball is partially wrapped and lightly coated with oil.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs reach 71°C at the center and the dough is cooked through and lightly browned. The meatballs are cooked through and the dough bands are set and golden at the edges.
5. While the meatballs bake, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well. The spaghetti is tender but still has a slight bite.
6. Warm the marinara with the minced garlic for the sauce in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it seems too thick, loosen it with a small splash of pasta water. The sauce is hot, aromatic, and spoonable.
7. Toss the drained spaghetti with half of the hot marinara, then divide among 4 plates. Top with the mummy meatballs, spoon over the remaining sauce, and garnish with basil if using. The plates are hot, sauced, and the meatballs sit clearly on top of the pasta.