I’m not quite sure what has prompted all the recent excitement, but whatever it is the last week or so I have found myself inundated with articles, food columns, family requests and soon to play a role in a movie  – MEATBALLS, specifically the iconic Italian traditional dish Spaghetti and Meatballs.

This is a dish all of us have had countless times throughout our lives and certainly can be considered a family staple when it comes to dinner time.  I know from experience growing up Sunday was always the best day for this meal, in addition Spaghetti and Meatballs has always been an ideal candidate for school hot lunches and benefit dinners to raise charitable funds. As I take the time to ponder thought about this dish I ask myself, what is the origin of this dish and who invented it?

It all starts with the pasta or spaghetti.  It is safe to say pasta in its many forms has been utilized for thousands of years; it is the early documentation of this ingredient and its origin that still raises debates.  For the most part it is generally agreed that ‘spaghetti’ dates back to early 19th century, and it is Naples, Italy that holds the honor of being the originator of the dish spaghetti and meat sauce.

In America, it was during the early 1920s era that proved the first wave of pasta growth.  The expansion of pasta manufacturing happened because imports were stopped due to World War I. Product was cheap at a time when food prices were rising and food manufacturers brought canned macaroni and tomato sauce to local stores.  This is also the time when Italian family traditions saw a need and opened  ‘spaghetti houses’  which quickly became very popular with the working class.  The onset of the 1930s Depression further fueled the growth of this family staple because of living/working conditions and it was inexpensive.

Each culture has some form of meat patties or meatball in their cuisine. As for the meatballs, their origins can be traced back to ancient Roman times.  It was more so out of necessity that this food was created.  It happened because meat was of poor quality and limited availability.  To compensate, the early Roman recipe added bread soaked in wine, herbs, spices to improve flavor and create a greater yield.  The simplest explanation of how these two joined forces would be the over-whelming success of spaghetti and tomato sauce within our culture and the irresistible hunger Americans have for meat.

Now all of this talk has sparked an appetite, besides the fact my son is being relentless in his pursuit to have a plate of Spaghetti and Meatballs.  I’m making this for dinner tonight and will have a great simple spaghetti recipe with a twist for everyone tomorrow……

Grazie Mille,
Chef Michael