I must really like you digital people out there to share this recipe with you, but part of mission as the Gastronomic Mommy is to get you all to eat better food!
WARNING: These meatballs may ruin you for all other meatballs! You will never have meatballs as good...so prepare yourself.
Ok, you've been sufficiently warned.
The meatballs are my great grandma Pepe's from Sicily. I remember when I was a child, my dad would take us to their little apartment and as you walked up the stairs this glorious smell was wafting through the air, making us feel so special to be one of the few that would actually be enjoying this meal that was making all the neighbor's mouth's water. When you walked in, the smell hit you like a ton of delicious bricks. My great grandma would smile, give us a kiss and let us peek into her skillet as she fried these scrumptious patties of meat. The cooks in my family are no joke.
When she passed away, I really never thought I'd be able to enjoy any of her amazing food again. But this is where yet another bad ass cook in may family stepped in...my dad. My dad tried & tried and eventually figured out the combination of ingredients to replicate her meatballs! It was one fabulous day, let me tell you. It's like dining with grandma Pepe every time I fry them.
You know that scene in Ratatouille where the cold, jaded food critic takes his first bite of the ratatouille and is instantly transported to his humble days of childhood and his mother places a beautiful bowl of vegetables in front of him. He turns all warm & fuzzy inside.
That's the power of food.
That's why I love what I do, and that's a reason I love this recipe. It transports me EVERY time. I hope as my kids grow old they look back and remember these smells and tastes and it makes them all warm & fuzzy when they walk onto my house. Or cook it on their own home.
In this specific recipe, I made it not a bit more user friendly. I am not going to have you make my great grandma's (now my dad's) 10 hour sauce recipe, instead we are making the weeknight version where you use store bought sauce...an EXCELLENT store-bought sauce.
I also have been experimenting and trying to make it a bit healthier so I use ground turkey (but you can certainly use ground beef!) and I used whole wheat pasta. You don't have to do that either. Those are the only substitutions you can really make, I've found.
If you substitute any ingredient other than the beef to turkey in the meatballs, I cannot guarantee you will achieve the same flavor that's intended. Like all simple foods, the ingredients each serve a purpose. If you change that, you may not achieve the same result. You can get away with adding more or less of a few of the ingredients, but don't think that using parmesan instead of romano is the same...it's not.
And let me tell you what to do with the leftovers...
For breakfast: Heat a skillet over med-high heat and drizzle a bit of olive oil. Toss in your spaghetti & meatballs (breaking the meatballs up with a spoon) Let it sizzle for a few minutes until it starts to get the noodles & sauce a little crisp and brown. Flip and repeat. In another small sauté pan, cook 1-2 eggs over-easy (runny yolk is KEY!) Place the "fried" spaghetti on your plate, top with the runny egg, chop it all up together, garnish with some grated parmigiano reggiano and watch magic happen in your mouth, people. My sister's & my favorite breakfast ever.
This classic comfort food does NOT disappoint!
THE Spaghetti & Meatballs (Period) Serves 4
3/4 lbs spaghetti (or angel hair) whole wheat pasta works great. (this is 3/4 of a package)
1 1bs ground turkey 7% fat (85/15 ground beef works great too)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
about 2 Tbs chopped Italian, flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup grated romano cheese (Pecorino Romano preferred)
1 heaping Tbs fennel seed
1 egg
about 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (Progresso brand preferred, and NOT panko)
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
Olive Oil (do not use any other kind of oil, Olive is key)
1 large jar Rao's Marinara Sauce (or any great sauce made with Italian San Marzano tomatoes. Just don't cheap out. Good sauce is important!)
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, fennel, parsley, egg, romano, breadcrumbs & salt/pepper. Mix with clean hands until just incorporated. roll into desired size balls (I made about 16 1 1/2 ounce balls, but you can make them larger or smaller. My great grandma actually shaped them more into thick patties as opposed to balls. I do that sometimes because they don't lose their shape in the pan that way. But it tastes the same, regardless.
After they are rolled, fill your large pot with water and bring to a boil for your pasta, and add a heaping spoonful of salt.
Also in a med saucepot, warm your sauce on low, stirring occasionally. (add a touch of cream if you are feeling naughty...I was) ;)
Cook until deep golden brown on all sides (about 2-3 min/side). I turn it 3 times. They don't stay perfect balls browning them this way, but again, they still taste the same!
Drop your pasta as your meatballs are browning on their last side. Cook as directed on package.
As your meatballs finish toss them in your warmed sauce. Let simmer a few minutes to make sure they are cooked through (and add extra flavor to the sauce!)That's a bath of kings, my friends!
When the pasta is al dente, drain, toss in a drizzle of olive oil (to prevent sticking). Plate up your pasta & top with desired amount of meatballs & sauce.
Don't forget the parmesan!!!
I'll blog my dad's 10 hr sauce at another date, but for now, you will be as happy as a clam. Enjoy your belly full of love.
THE Spaghetti & Meatballs (Period) Serves 4
3/4 lbs spaghetti (or angel hair) whole wheat pasta works great. (this is 3/4 of a package)
1 1bs ground turkey 7% fat (85/15 ground beef works great too)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
about 2 Tbs chopped Italian, flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup grated romano cheese (Pecorino Romano preferred)
1 heaping Tbs fennel seed
1 egg
about 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (Progresso brand preferred, and NOT panko)
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
Olive Oil (do not use any other kind of oil, Olive is key)
1 large jar Rao's Marinara Sauce (or any great sauce made with Italian San Marzano tomatoes)
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, fennel, parsley, egg, romano, breadcrumbs & salt/pepper. Mix with clean hands until just incorporated. roll into desired size balls (I made about 16 1 1/2 ounce balls, but you can make them larger or smaller. My great grandma actually shaped them more into thick patties as opposed to balls. I do that sometimes because they don't lose their shape in the pan that way. But it tasted the same, regardless.
After they are rolled, fill your large pot with water and bring to a boil for your pasta, and add a heaping spoonful of salt.
Also in a med saucepot, warm your sauce on low, stirring occasionally.
Cook until deep golden brown on all sides (about 2-3 min/side). I turn it 3 times. They don't stay perfect balls browning them this way, but again, they still taste the same!
Drop your pasta as your meatballs are browning on their last side. Cook as directed on package.
As your meatballs finish toss them in your warmed sauce. Let simmer a few minutes to make sure they are cooked through (and add extra flavor to the sauce!)That's a bath of kings, my friends!
When the pasta is al dente, drain, toss in a drizzle of olive oil (to prevent sticking). Plate up your pasta & top with desired amount of meatballs & sauce.
Don't forget the parmesan!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment