The Secret to Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs Is Milk

Spaghetti and meatballs may be a classic Italian meal regularly enjoyed by millions, but it can either be prepared in the blandest of ways or spectacularly well.

Food Network star Tyler Florence‘s version of the dish falls in the latter of those two categories. In fact, he calls his the ultimate spaghetti and meatballs. You’ll just have to try it to see if the chef’s recipe lives up to its name!

Florence’s ‘trick’ for perfect meatballs every time

In his cookbook Tyler’s Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time, the chef explained his approach to the beloved meal.

“Spaghetti and meatballs can be outstanding—or very boring; it’s the subtle nuances in the recipe that make all the difference,” he writes.

And the most important part of the dish, he says, are the meatballs, which “should be tender enough to cut with a spoon but firm enough to hold together.”

How do you achieve this delicate meatball balance? “Here’s the trick: bread crumbs soaked in milk. It’s a trick I picked up in Naples, the meatball capital of the world. Without it, meatballs are chewy, like a well-done hamburger,” Florence says.

The chef’s spin on the Italian classic is a new classic of its own

Florence’s dish calls for kosher salt, chopped onion, chopped fresh garlic cloves, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, milk, cubed firm white bread with the crusts cut off, ground beef, ground pork, an egg, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, good-quality jarred tomato sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and, of course, spaghetti.

You can also try making your own Pomodoro sauce with chopped onion and garlic cloves, whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes that have been drained and crushed by hand with the liquid reserved, and fresh basil leaves that have been torn into pieces.

To make the meatballs, the milk is poured over the bread pieces and allowed to soak for a while.

The egg, bread, cheese, parsley, and ground meats are then salted, peppered, and combined well. Start forming the meatballs by hand, to the size of “somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball,” then fry the meatballs in an oiled pan until they’re browned on both sides.

Pour half of the tomato sauce over the meatballs and top with torn (or grated) mozzarella cheese. The pan goes into a 350-degree F oven for about 15 minutes, “until the meatballs are cooked through.”

The pasta is cooked and sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Then, it’s tossed, plated with the meatballs, and served with basil leaves and more grated cheese. Enjoy!

Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.

Home cooks said Florence’s spaghetti and meatballs recipe was worth all the work

Although this version of the classic dish might take a good 90 minutes to complete, many reviewers on Food Network’s site felt it was worth every minute.

“The whole recipe can take up to an hour and a half, but it’s definitely worth it. My husband is a great chef, but the one thing he loves that I make are these meatballs,” one person wrote.

Another home cook said, “This recipe is so worth the many steps and procedures it takes to make it! It is authentic Italian flavors! : ) the meatballs are so juicy and melt in your mouth!”