Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Barefoot Blogger: Real Spaghetti and Meatballs


Pasta is one of my favorite things and I am always looking for new tricks. One of the best new tricks is trying a different approach to a classic. This recipe is very similiar to my usually spaghetti and meatballs and I found the flavors really fresh and simple and sometimes that's all you really need. I found the meatballs a little on the bready side but that allowed to soak up a really mild sauce. My guests and I really enjoyed and I followed the recipe to the tee.












Recipe: Ina Garten from Food Network Website

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil


For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:nocoupons
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan


Directions
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

6 comments:

Suzie said...

I thought this recipe was lovely, and agree re the breadiness but it definitely made the meatballs moister.

Penny said...

Not one of my favorite Contessa recipes. I'm a new BB too. Also from Michigan originally. Where is Clawson?

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked it!
~Cat

Cynthia's Blog said...

It lighter, than the usual sauces. I was missing basil or something though. Good photos.

Anonymous said...

I agree, it is a very simple sauce but had a depth of flavor from the reduced wine. We liked it a lot.

Lisa said...

I love the name of your blog - I probably pray to feta and most cheeses myself! LOL. Your meatballs look great!

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