Spaghetti and Drop Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Put the ground beef in a medium bowl.
   Grate 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese and add 1 cup to the bowl. Set aside the rest for serving.
   Chop 1/4 cup parsley leaves and add to the bowl.
4. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs to the bowl, crack in the egg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently mix together until everything is just combined.
5. When the oil is hot, use 2 spoons to drop in rounds of the meatball mixture (without touching if you can help it). Once you’ve used up all the mixture, let the meatballs cook undisturbed until they’re browned on the bottom and release easily, 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Trim, peel, and chop the onion; scatter it around the meatballs.
   Peel and chop 3 cloves garlic; scatter them on the onions.
7. When the meatballs release from the pan easily, add the tomatoes and their juice to the skillet, along with 3 bay leaves and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine the meatballs with the sauce and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, then cover the skillet (by the time the pasta is cooked, the meatballs will be firm).
8. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving about 1 cup cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Discard the bay leaves and spoon half of the sauce into the pasta pot, leaving the meatballs behind. Toss the pasta and sauce, adding a splash of cooking water if you want to make it saucier.
9. Transfer the pasta to a platter or serving bowls; top with the meatballs and some sauce. Serve, passing the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and sauce at the table.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast