Spaghetti and meatballs
After a brief hiatus of eating a lot of random stuff, I'm cooking again.
I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs since Wednesday, so I got off my rather large behind today and actually made it. This is bubbling away on the stove right now, and I've tasted both the sauce and the meatballs and they are GOOD. The recipe calls for beef and sausage...I think you could substitute turkey and it'd be just fine.
From the ever-wonderful Simply Recipes, which always has the recipe I need when I'm craving something.
Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves chopped garlic
½ chopped sweet yellow onion
1 cup very finely chopped carrots
1 cup chopped crimini brown mushrooms
2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (get San Marzano brand if possible)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate in tube
¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
¼ cup red wine
Meatballs
1 lb ground beef (USDA prime is best)
½ lb fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ cup finely chopped crimini brown mushrooms
2 eggs
¾ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Red wine
Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in 4-5 quart pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and mushrooms, blend together for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir together. Add basil and parsley, stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add tomato paste concentrate, stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meat balls, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the meatballs. Mix by hand in a large bowl beef, Italian sausage, basil, parsley, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbed salt, and pepper until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoons to form 1-inch round meat balls. Roll and compress into tight balls.
Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Sear and brown meat balls on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. As meatballs are finishing, add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan.
Add ¼ cup red wine to the sauce. Then stir in ¼ cup cheese. Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, bring to a boil a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with 1 Tbsp of salt. Once the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave uncovered, cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain.
To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with grated parmesan-romano cheese.
I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs since Wednesday, so I got off my rather large behind today and actually made it. This is bubbling away on the stove right now, and I've tasted both the sauce and the meatballs and they are GOOD. The recipe calls for beef and sausage...I think you could substitute turkey and it'd be just fine.
From the ever-wonderful Simply Recipes, which always has the recipe I need when I'm craving something.
Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves chopped garlic
½ chopped sweet yellow onion
1 cup very finely chopped carrots
1 cup chopped crimini brown mushrooms
2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (get San Marzano brand if possible)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate in tube
¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
¼ cup red wine
Meatballs
1 lb ground beef (USDA prime is best)
½ lb fresh bulk Italian style pork sausage
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ cup finely chopped crimini brown mushrooms
2 eggs
¾ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Red wine
Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in 4-5 quart pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and mushrooms, blend together for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir together. Add basil and parsley, stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add tomato paste concentrate, stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meat balls, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the meatballs. Mix by hand in a large bowl beef, Italian sausage, basil, parsley, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbed salt, and pepper until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoons to form 1-inch round meat balls. Roll and compress into tight balls.
Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Sear and brown meat balls on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. As meatballs are finishing, add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan.
Add ¼ cup red wine to the sauce. Then stir in ¼ cup cheese. Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, bring to a boil a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with 1 Tbsp of salt. Once the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave uncovered, cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain.
To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with grated parmesan-romano cheese.
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