Barefoot Contessa Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipes

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a large bowl, use your hands to break up the tomatoes, squeezing them into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
• Place the pancetta in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook gently until the pancetta releases its juices and browns, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• To the rendered fat in the pan, add the olive oil and, when hot, the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until it releases its fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes and oregano, cook for a minute or two, and then add the red wine. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the pancetta to the pan, along with the tomatoes and their juices, the carrots, and the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced by one-half to two-thirds, about 5 hours.
• When the sauce has thickened and reduced, remove the carrots and basil, and puree to the desired smoothness using an immersion blender. Stir in the parsley.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Combine the panko and buttermilk in a large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until a smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes. Add the eggs, ground beef, ground pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, pepper and salt. Gently mix with your hands until thoroughly combined, then lightly form into golf ball-size meatballs (approximately 24).
• Place the meatballs, evenly spaced, on the prepared rack and roast until browned, about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
• When the sauce is ready, gently add the meatballs to the pot and simmer, covered, over low heat until the meatballs are fully cooked and firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water a boil--the water should taste salty like the ocean. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water, then return the pasta to the pot.
• Ladle approximately half of the sauce into the pasta and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, to let the pasta absorb some of the sauce.
• Using tongs, portion the pasta into individual pasta bowls. Top with 3 to 4 meatballs per serving and finish with more sauce. Serve extra Parmesan separately at the table.

ROASTED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
• Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
• Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
• To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

SPICY TURKEY MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine. With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked. Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine. With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked. Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.

REAL MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl.
• Very gently, combine the ingredients with a fork or your hands until barely blended (overworking the mixture may make the meatballs tough!).
• Gently form the mixture into approximately 14-16 meatballs and set aside.
• Heat equal amounts of vegetable and olive oil into a large skillet and place the meatballs in the skillet in small batches (do not crowd meatballs) to brown on all sides over medium-low heat. This will take about 10 minutes.
• When they are done, remove them to a paper towel covered plate to drain.
• When finished browning all the meatballs, pour off the oils, but do not clean the skillet.
• To make the sauce, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and saute the onion over medium heat until translucent.
• Add the garlic and cook about a minute longer, but be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the red wine and scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.
• To complete the sauce, add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover the pan, and simmer on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve with the cooked spaghetti and parmesan.
• Note: The sauce and meatballs freezes well for leftovers.

REAL MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• 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.

MEATBALLS DE CORAZON

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Preheat a fryer or 3 inches oil to 300 degrees F.
• Double grind the heart, pork and fatback into a bowl set on top of an ice bath to ensure that the meat is cold throughout the meatball making process. Add the eggs, panko, chopped cilantro, garlic, kosher salt, cumin, ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne and black pepper to taste. Portion the meatballs with a 1.25-ounce portion scoop, then smooth the meatballs out by tossing them between greased hands, creating a smooth round shape. Place on the greased baking sheets and bake for approximately 8 minutes.
• For the piri piri sauce: Pulse the chiles, garlic, peppers and onion in a food processor and set aside. In a heavy-bottom saucepot, heat the oil over medium-heat high. Add the tomato paste, stirring continuously to cook, about 1 minute. (The oil should turn a beautiful orange color.) Add the processed ingredients plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook down over medium heat until completely softened and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the honey, cumin seeds and paprika and turn to medium heat; let cook another 6 to 8 minutes. Add the vinegar and remaining tablespoon kosher salt, then cook for about 15 minutes. Finish the sauce with the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• Toss the meatballs and sauce together, then let simmer a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
• Meanwhile, toss the plantains into the fryer, and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and dust with fine salt.
• Pile the meatballs in the center of a plate. Garnish with the plantain chips, cilantro sprigs and a touch of lime zest.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 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.