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Sammy Davis Jr. — a key member of the iconic Rat Pack that included fellow crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin — was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s and ’60s. Davis could do it all, a performer through and through; he could sing, dance, act, and make people laugh with his on-point impressions. All this is to say, he was a massive talent and considered a legend. Despite his superstar status, though, he was hardly fancy when it came to food. For the “Candy Man” hitmaker, it didn’t get much better than his grandma’s ham hocks and greens, but he was a huge fan of good ol’ spaghetti and meatballs.
“I love spaghetti and meatballs,” Davis told the Evening Independent, a St. Petersburg, Florida, newspaper, for a column called Celebrity Cookbook in 1966. “I swear it has nothing to do with Sinatra,” he quipped, referring to his Italian-American friend’s preference for classic Italian dishes (some of Sinatra’s favorite foods were stuffed artichokes and veal Milanese). Davis explained that his love of spaghetti and meatballs traced back to his childhood, when he was touring as a part of an act alongside his father, Sammy Davis Sr., and godfather, Will Mastin, and the meal was a super cheap option on the road. He also told the newspaper that despite dining at some of the best restaurants, he didn’t stray from his simple tastes. “Even in Rome, I always end up ordering spaghetti and meatballs,” he said.
Spaghetti and meatballs is actually an American creation
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Spaghetti and meatballs, like chicken Parmesan, are one of the “Italian” foods that aren’t exactly Italian at all. While it’s commonly thought that the comforting dish was invented in Italy, such is not the case. However, the dish was an innovation of Italian immigrants who came to New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century. Italy does have a version of meatballs, called polpettes, but they were never accompanied by pasta and a tomato-based sauce. They were smaller with less meat, as meat was expensive there at the time, and often eaten simply as a standalone dish or incorporated into soups.
Ground beef was more affordable in America, leading Italian immigrants to start making the cheap but filling meatballs we know and love today — and that Sammy Davis Jr. enjoyed while traveling the country. As for the sauce, it was adapted from marinara sauce, which originated in Naples, Italy, in the 16th century. In terms of the pasta, it’s thought that Italian restaurateurs got the idea to combine spaghetti with meatballs and sauce to satisfy American diners accustomed to eating a starch alongside their protein. We can’t help but wonder where Davis had his first plate of spaghetti and meatballs. And would he have liked Ina Garten’s meatballs? Her meatball recipe features a shockingly simple ingredient to make them extra moist.
Dining and Cooking