Lady and the Tramp – Dinner Date

Name: Spaghetti and Meatballs - Instant Pot
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 3/4 lb. ground beef; 3/4 lb. ground pork; 1/2 cup Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese), grated fine; 1 cup bread crumbs; 1/4 cup fresh parsley (1 tbsp dried parsley); 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1 egg; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 28 cans Diced Tomatoes; 4 tbs tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to desired level of spice); 1 teaspoon (each) salt u0026 black pepper; 2 teaspoon dried oregano; Fresh basil, as garnish.

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For my parents anniversary I decided to make homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Which inspired the whole “Lady and the Tramp” theme dinner date.

MENU: Homemade Meatballs and tomato sauce on top of spaghetti noodles with Romano Herb Bread on the side
FEATURE FILM: Lady and the Tramp, circa 1955 (streaming on Disney+)
CONCESSIONS: Popcorn with Reese pieces, Red Vines and Root beer Floats

Growing up my sister and I would put on these elaborate themed “surprise date nights” for our parents. We would transform the house into a bed ‘n breakfast, with numbers on the door and in the morning we made them breakfast in bed. We also did a “dinner and movie night” with a table for two restaurant, and a movie theater complete with a concession stand. These childhood moments are some of my favorite memories.

Now that I am all grown up (and still single) I have kept up with the tradition.

Spaghetti and Meatball Cooking Schedule:

4:00 pm: Start the sauce. Once everything is added to the instant pot and combined place the lid and set the timer for 30 minutes. Then quick release. Use a dish towel to cover the spout as it releases steam.
4:45 pm: Prepare the meatballs, set aside what you need (3 per person) and freeze the uncooked meatballs (see below).
5:00 pm: Pre-heat the instant pot with olive oil. While this heats up prepare the herb bread, arrange on a baking sheet and set aside.
5:05 pm: Arrange the meatballs in the hot oil, turning until all sides are browned. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
5:15 pm: Start the sauce. Once everything is added to the instant pot and combined add the browned meatballs. Place the lid and set the timer for 20 minutes.
5:45 pm: Pre-heat oven to 375. Start the spaghetti noodles.
5:50 pm: Place herb bread in the oven while the instant pot pressure releases naturally.
6:00 pm: Switch to broiler for 2-3 mins to brown the herb bread.
6:05 pm: Plate noodles, top with sauce and meatballs. Add 1-2 slices of bread. Garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan or Romano cheese.

ROMANO HERB BREAD (8 serving per loaf) – adapted from unsophisticook.com

1 large loaf French or Italian bread
1/2 cup softened butter
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese)

Spaghetti Noodles: 1 1/2 lbs – Follow directions on the package. Drain and return to the pot. Drizzle olive oil and toss noodles. (2 oz. dry noodles per serving)

TO FREEZE:

This recipe makes 12 servings, so I freeze the unused balls before browning and cut the sauce recipe depending on how many servings I need.

Place the uncooked rolled meatballs on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes. This will prevent them from sticking together.
Store them in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months.
When you’re ready to cook them, defrost before browning, then continue the recipe.

Spaghetti and Meatballs – Instant Pot

Course: Recipes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Calories

275

kcal

adapted from theCozyCook.com and Food Network

Ingredients

MEATBALLS (makes about 36, 1.5″ balls)
3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese), grated fine
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley (1 tbsp dried parsley)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
TOMATO SAUCE
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 28 cans Diced Tomatoes
4 tbs tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to desired level of spice)
1 teaspoon (each) salt & black pepper
2 teaspoon dried oregano
Fresh basil, as garnish.

Directions

Add olive oil, diced tomatoes, tomato pasta, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and oregano to the pot. Stir gently to combine. Place lid and set instant pot to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Quick release with a dish cloth covering the spout.
Gently combine all meatball ingredients, (except the oil), in a large bowl, don’t overwork the meat, we want tender meatballs.
Roll into 1 1/2″ balls (roughly 36).
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat.
Give each meatball a final roll and add them to the pot.
Brown them in batches, for a few minutes on each side. They won’t be cooked all the way through. Remove and set aside.
Stir the tomato sauce and then arrange browned meatballs in the pot. Make sure they are covered in tomato sauce.
Set instant pot to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 20 minutes. Natural release for 15 minutes then Quick release. Stir to combine and cover until noodles are prepared.