Sunday Supper Spaghetti and Meatballs in Calabrian Chili Tomato Sauce
Growing up in the Bronx in the 1970s, spaghetti and meatballs was more than just dinner—it was the taste of home. My mom worked hard to put a hot meal on the table, and pasta was her go-to: filling, affordable, and always satisfying. The sauce would simmer on the stove, filling our small apartment with the rich aroma of tomatoes, garlic, and onions. We’d eat around the kitchen table, grateful for a meal that was simple but full of love. Over time, I carried that memory forward, adding my own touch with crushed Calabrian chilies. Their smoky, peppery bite gives the sauce a little heat that lingers, setting it apart from the sweeter sauces I grew up with. The meatballs themselves are a nod to the neighborhood style of that era—beef-heavy, sometimes blended with pork for depth, bound with milk-soaked bread and Parmesan from the familiar green can. They simmer right in the sauce, soaking up the flavor and giving back richness of their own. This is the kind of dish that stretches across generations, where old-school comfort meets a little modern fire, a plate that tastes like both yesterday and today.
