Lisa
June 29th, 2007, 09:14 PM
Spaghetti and Meatballs
My family loves Italian food, especially pasta with red sauce. So, I'm posting my no fuss spaghetti and meatballs, which always goes over well with my kids. The no fuss part comes in with you using box pasta, as opposed to fresh pasta. I can post how to make fresh pasta some other time, if anyone is interested. I recommend De Cecco spaghettini, which is a thin spaghetti. For this dish you will need:
For the meatballs:
2 large eggs
3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1 lb ground minced meat
6-8 springs flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 elephant clove garlic
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
For the sauce
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 glove garlic, or one elephant glove
2 cans Italian peeled tomatoes with juice
4 basil lease
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large minced onion
1 cup dry red cooking wine, or chianti
Kosher salt for cooking the pasta
1 lb dried spaghetti
First, in a small ball, whisk the eggs until blended. Finely grate the cheese with a grater, measuring out about 1/2 cup of grated cheese. You can save the rest to toss with the pasta later. On a cutting board chop up the onions and mince the garlic, which means chop it a lot, or you can slice the garlic. Don't forget to remove the skins from both the onion and the garlic. Wipe the board and knife clean. For the parsley, remove and discard the stems. Mince the leaves by using a chef's knife, and chopping away, up and down, until the leaves are very fine pieces. you will need 3 tablespoons of the minced parsley.
Second, mix your meatballs in a large bowl. Combine the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or your hands mix together the ingredients just until well blended.
Third, Portion the meatballs. I find an ice cream scoop is the best way to do this. You will get consistent 2-inch in diameter meatballs. Place each scoop or meatball on a sheet of baking or wax paper on a Cookie sheet or flat surface dish or pan. You can now shape the meatballs by moistening you hands wit cool water, and rolling each meatball portion lightly in the palm of your hand until you have a ball.
Fourth, Brown the meatballs . Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add half a cup of olive oil. When the oil starts shimmering, it is sufficiently hot. Add the meatballs to the pan without their touching each other, and turn them frequently with tongs. When the meatballs are ready, transfer them onto a plate, and brown the remaining meatballs. Meatballs should become brown and crusty in about 15 minutes. Rinse and dry the sauté pan.
Fifth, Making the sauce. Place the pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the olive starts shimmering, add the onions until they are a pearly white, then add the garlic, and cook until it is lightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, stir in the salt and pepper, add the wine and basil leaves, and heat until small bubbles begin to form on the surface. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered until the sauce begins to thicken, 1/2 hour to one hour.
Sixth, Add the meatballs to the sauce, and use a large spoon to baste them. Continue to cook over low heat, turning the meatballs from time to time, until the sauce has thickened, and the meatballs are cooked throughout, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Now make the spaghetti. In a large pot, three fourth full of water, add about 3 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta all at once, separating the strands, as you push the pasta into the water. You can stir the pasta occasionally, until it is al-dente (7 to 9 minutes) Pour the pasta in a colander to drain, and shake the colander to remove the water.
Seven, Using tongs, transfer the meatballs to a plate, and warm the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce, and toss with two wooden spoons or spatulas in the sauce, until the strands are evenly coated.
Serve up the pasta, and using tongs, arrange the meatballs on the top of the pasta. You can dress it up by sprinkling with chopped fresh herbs, and left over grated cheese.
My family loves Italian food, especially pasta with red sauce. So, I'm posting my no fuss spaghetti and meatballs, which always goes over well with my kids. The no fuss part comes in with you using box pasta, as opposed to fresh pasta. I can post how to make fresh pasta some other time, if anyone is interested. I recommend De Cecco spaghettini, which is a thin spaghetti. For this dish you will need:
For the meatballs:
2 large eggs
3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1 lb ground minced meat
6-8 springs flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 elephant clove garlic
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
For the sauce
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 glove garlic, or one elephant glove
2 cans Italian peeled tomatoes with juice
4 basil lease
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large minced onion
1 cup dry red cooking wine, or chianti
Kosher salt for cooking the pasta
1 lb dried spaghetti
First, in a small ball, whisk the eggs until blended. Finely grate the cheese with a grater, measuring out about 1/2 cup of grated cheese. You can save the rest to toss with the pasta later. On a cutting board chop up the onions and mince the garlic, which means chop it a lot, or you can slice the garlic. Don't forget to remove the skins from both the onion and the garlic. Wipe the board and knife clean. For the parsley, remove and discard the stems. Mince the leaves by using a chef's knife, and chopping away, up and down, until the leaves are very fine pieces. you will need 3 tablespoons of the minced parsley.
Second, mix your meatballs in a large bowl. Combine the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or your hands mix together the ingredients just until well blended.
Third, Portion the meatballs. I find an ice cream scoop is the best way to do this. You will get consistent 2-inch in diameter meatballs. Place each scoop or meatball on a sheet of baking or wax paper on a Cookie sheet or flat surface dish or pan. You can now shape the meatballs by moistening you hands wit cool water, and rolling each meatball portion lightly in the palm of your hand until you have a ball.
Fourth, Brown the meatballs . Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add half a cup of olive oil. When the oil starts shimmering, it is sufficiently hot. Add the meatballs to the pan without their touching each other, and turn them frequently with tongs. When the meatballs are ready, transfer them onto a plate, and brown the remaining meatballs. Meatballs should become brown and crusty in about 15 minutes. Rinse and dry the sauté pan.
Fifth, Making the sauce. Place the pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the olive starts shimmering, add the onions until they are a pearly white, then add the garlic, and cook until it is lightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, stir in the salt and pepper, add the wine and basil leaves, and heat until small bubbles begin to form on the surface. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered until the sauce begins to thicken, 1/2 hour to one hour.
Sixth, Add the meatballs to the sauce, and use a large spoon to baste them. Continue to cook over low heat, turning the meatballs from time to time, until the sauce has thickened, and the meatballs are cooked throughout, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Now make the spaghetti. In a large pot, three fourth full of water, add about 3 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta all at once, separating the strands, as you push the pasta into the water. You can stir the pasta occasionally, until it is al-dente (7 to 9 minutes) Pour the pasta in a colander to drain, and shake the colander to remove the water.
Seven, Using tongs, transfer the meatballs to a plate, and warm the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce, and toss with two wooden spoons or spatulas in the sauce, until the strands are evenly coated.
Serve up the pasta, and using tongs, arrange the meatballs on the top of the pasta. You can dress it up by sprinkling with chopped fresh herbs, and left over grated cheese.