Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings
Meatballs
½ lb ground beef (80 percent lean)
¼ lb ground veal
¼ lb ground pork
1 large egg
¼ lb Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ of a medium yellow onion, finely chopped (chop the entire
onion, use half for meatballs, half for sauce, below)
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
¼ of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp to ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sauce
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup of dry white wine (ask your parents for help on this
one!)
3 thyme sprigs
1 dried bay leaf
1 15-ounce box or can of chopped tomatoes
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
½ cup basil leaves, finely chopped
Pasta
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 lb of spaghetti
¼ lb Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, ¼ pound, finely grated
½ cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
1. Make the
meatballs: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, cheese,
onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients
together until thoroughly combined, then form into 16 balls (each a little
larger than a golf ball). Place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap
and refrigerate.
2. Make the sauce:
In a medium pot set over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic and red
pepper flakes. Cook, using the wooden spoon to stir the onions often, until
they are tender and translucent, about 2 minutes. Ask a parent or guardian to
add the wine, then cook until the wine is nearly absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Then
stir in the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, tomatoes and tomato paste. Turn the heat
down to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, then stir in the basil. Turn off the
heat and set aside.
3. Fry the meatballs:
Add the olive oil to a cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Heat the
oil until it shimmers, about 2 minutes, then add the shaped meatballs (you may
need to cook them in batches and in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil
depending upon the size of your pan) and cook until brown on all sides, 10 to
15 minutes total. Use the tongs to transfer the meatballs to the warm sauce.
Once all of the meatballs are cooked, return the sauce to a simmer and cook
until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Make the pasta:
Fill a large pot with water, add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, then drain the
pasta into a colander, saving ¼ cup of pasta water (to thin the sauce, if
needed).
5. Divide the
spaghetti into four bowls. Top each with a few meatballs and some sauce.
Finish with the Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and roughly chopped fresh
basil. Enjoy!
BY GL ON 11/5/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN pasta, dinner, fall recipes