🍝Ava’s Elevated Sourdough Spaghetti & Meatballs

Make the sourdough pasta dough — Add the 00 flour to a clean surface or large bowl and create a well in the center. Add the eggs and sourdough starter into the well. Slowly begin mixing, gradually pulling the flour into the center until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and beautifully silky. Wrap the dough tightly and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Roll and cut the spaghetti — Divide the rested dough into smaller pieces so it is easier to work with. Flatten each piece and pass it through your pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold it over and pass it through again, repeating until the dough is smooth. Continue rolling the dough through gradually thinner settings until you reach your desired thickness. Run each sheet through the spaghetti attachment. Lightly dust the strands with 00 flour and arrange them in loose nests while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Begin the homemade sauce — Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Let the tomato paste cook for 2–3 minutes, until it becomes deeper in color and begins to caramelize. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then add the basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Let it cook while you prepare the meatballs.

Make the sourdough breadcrumbs — Tear your old sourdough into smaller pieces and blend it in a food processor until fine breadcrumbs form. Using old sourdough instead of packaged breadcrumbs gives the meatballs so much more flavor—and means nothing beautiful goes to waste.

Form the meatballs — In a large bowl, add the ground beef, sourdough breadcrumbs, egg, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, gently mix everything together just until combined. Roll the mixture into evenly sized meatballs and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs — Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the meatballs for approximately 18 minutes, until lightly browned and mostly cooked through. They do not need to finish cooking completely in the oven because they will continue cooking in the tomato sauce.

Finish the meatballs in the sauce — Gently place the baked meatballs into the simmering tomato sauce. Cover and let them cook for another 20–30 minutes, until fully cooked and tender. As they simmer, the meatballs soak up all of the rich tomato flavor while releasing even more flavor into the sauce.

Cook the fresh spaghetti — Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the fresh sourdough spaghetti and cook for approximately 2–3 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm. Reserve a little pasta water before draining.

Bring it all together — Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly into the tomato sauce and gently toss until every strand is coated. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling beautifully to the pasta. Plate with the meatballs and finish with torn basil, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.