What could be more romantic that the
scene in Disney's Lady and the Tramp where our protagonists share a
plate of spaghetti and meatballs, ending in their first kiss? Swoon!
Am I the only one that has a hard time
thinking of wads of meat as romantic? It's just weird. Pasta,
maybe, but cooked meat wads? They were dogs. Dogs are meat eaters. I
guess is makes a kind of perverse sense. But, seriously?
Romance aside, it's hard to beat a
tasty, moist meatball, smothered in thick tomato sauce, gently
resting on top of a pile of spaghetti, cooked just al dente. Sigh.
Maybe I'm a romantic after all.
First, meatballs should be tender. I
don't want to bounce them off the walls or play table tennis with
them, thank you. Fortunately, this recipe delivers in that
department. I make a quick tomato sauce of my own for use with this
recipe, but you can use canned, if you must.
Grating your own Parmesan is best. The
measurements given are for the grated form, not the solid block form.
In case you don't know, bulk sausage is sausage sold before being
formed into casings. If you can't get it that way, remove the meat
from the casings before proceeding.
Equipment Needed
cutting board
chef's knife
garlic press (optional)
saucepan
measuring spoons
wooden spoon
mixing bowls
large skillet
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
2 14.5-oz cans, diced tomatoes
1/2 Tbl dried basil (or 2 Tbl fresh,
minced)
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper as needed
For the meatballs:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices good white bread
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yoghurt
3/4 pound of ground beef (80% lean)
1/4 pound of bulk Italian sausage, mild
1 Tbl dried parsley (or 2 Tbl fresh,
minced)
1 large egg yolk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
olive oil
1 pound spaghetti noodles
More grated Parmesan cheese, for
serving
Directions
Pour about 4 quarts of water into a
large cooking pot and set it on a a cold burner. Don't start heating
it just yet. We just want it to be ready to go.
For the sauce:
Add the olive oil to a saucepan. Heat
both over medium heat until the oil is just starting to shimmer. Add
the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the canned tomatoes, along with the canning liquid, and the
dried basil. If using fresh basil, save it for later. Using an
immersion blender, blend the tomato mixture enough to break up the
heavy dice, but still leave small chunks. Bring to a simmer and cook
until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar and
season with salt and pepper to taste. If you are using fresh basil,
add it now. Set aside.
For the meatballs:
Cut the crusts from the bread and tear
into small pieces. Add the bread and buttermillk, or yogurt, to a
large bowl and mash into a paste. The Italians call this a “panada.”
Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, grated Parmesan, egg yolk,
minced garlic, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to the bread mixture.
Stir to combine.
Using 2 – 3 Tbl of the meat mixture
at a time, roll it between your palms to form them into 1 1/2-inch
balls. You'll end up making about 12 - 13 meatballs, this way. Make
sure they're packed pretty well, so they don't fall apart while
cooking, but don't overdo it.
Now is the time to turn the heat under
the pasta water up to high, to bring it to a boil.
In the meantime, pour olive oil into a skillet to a
depth of about 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil starts
to shimmer. Carefully add the meatballs, one at a time in a single
layer. Cook until nicely browned, gently turning once through the
cooking cycle, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meatballs from the
pan and transfer them to a paper towel line plate. Pour off the
remaining oil in the skillet to discard it.
Reduce the heat to medium and return
the skillet to the stove. Pour in about a cup of the sauce and
deglaze the skillet, scraping up the yummy browned bits (or “fond”)
off the bottom. Stir in the rest of the sauce and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover
and let simmer while the pasta cooks.
The pasta water should be boiling about
now. Add the spaghetti and 1 Tbl salt. Cook until al dente, about 10
minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest.
Remove the meatballs from the sauce and
set aside on a clean plate. Add the reserved pasta water to the
tomato sauce and stir in to “loosen” the sauce. Taste the sauce,
adjusting the seasoning if needed. Pour the sauce over the cooked
spaghetti and toss to coat.
Divide the pasta between four bowls.
Top with meatballs, more grated Parmesan cheese as desired, and
serve.
Makes 4 large servings.
