It's hard to imagine a supernova-level icon like Taylor Swift whipping up her own meals — let alone doing anything other than performing her chart-topping hits to sold-out stadiums — but alas, even big celebrities are just like us. They, too, crave the simple, delicious comfort of carbs, sauce and meat.
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In a 2019 essay for Elle titled "30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30," Swift shared a plethora of insights on food, music and life in general. Among her pearls of wisdom was discovering a few simple dishes she could whip out for guests (we can only imagine what kind of A-listers she's inviting over for dinner). Can you guess what comfort food classic made the cut?
That's right: spaghetti and meatballs.
"I've always cooked a LOT, but I found three recipes I know I'll be making at dinner parties for life: Ina Garten's Real Meatballs and Spaghetti (I just use packaged bread crumbs and only ground beef for meat), Nigella Lawson's Mughlai Chicken, and Jamie Oliver's Chicken Fajitas with Molé Sauce," she wrote. "Getting a garlic crusher is a whole game changer. I also learned how to immediately calculate Celsius to Fahrenheit in my head. (Which is what I'm pretty sure the internet would call a 'weird flex.')"
So, if you want to mimic Taylor Swift's cooking skills and impress your friends at the next dinner party, read on to learn how to make her favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe à la Barefoot Contessa style.
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What You Need
Luckily, we don't have to wait for Swift to drop the recipe. Garten shared her Real Meatballs and Spaghetti how-to with the Food Network, and our favorite pop star isn't the only fan. The recipe is currently ranked five stars and has over 750 reviews. So, let's gather up the ingredients and get cooking!
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 cup packaged bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 extra-large egg, beaten
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup good red wine (Garten recommends Chianti)
- 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Serving
- 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- Freshly grated Parmesan
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Like any self-respecting Italian American dish, Garten's Real Meatballs and Spaghetti takes some time to make. So prepare to spend up to two hours in the kitchen between prep and cooking. That gives you just enough time to binge at least two of Swift's albums.
Step 1: Prep the Meatballs
Using a fork, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and 3/4 cup of water in a bowl. Once everything is nice and mixed, use your hands to form 2-inch meatballs (roughly the size of a golf ball). This should yield around 14 to 16 meatballs.
Step 2: Cook the Meatballs
Heat equal parts vegetable oil and olive oil (enough to create a depth of about 1/4 inch) in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the oils are hot, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides (approximately 10 minutes). Don't overcrowd the pan — you want to give each meatball enough room to brown properly, so this will likely have to be done in multiple batches.
Once they are well-browned, place the meatballs on a plate and cover them with paper towels. Remove the oil, but don't clean that skillet just yet.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
For Garten's signature marinara, cook the onions in a pot with olive oil over medium heat until they're translucent (usually five to 10 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Once the base is all set, turn up the heat to high and add in the wine. While it's cooking, scrape up all the "brown bits" in the pan until the liquid completely evaporates, which happens in roughly three minutes. Then, stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add It All Together
You've got your sauce, you've got your meatballs — now what? Add the meatballs to the pot with the marinara and let everything simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes. That should be just enough time to cook your spaghetti, set the table and queue up one more Swift album for good measure.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy
Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and then toss it in a large bowl with your sauce (minus any remaining chunky bits). To serve, plate the spaghetti topped with meatballs and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan on top to taste.
And voilà! You have just mastered Taylor Swift's go-to dinner party dish.
