Big Beef Meatballs With Bucatini Recipes

BIG BEEF MEATBALLS WITH BUCATINI BY RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Instructions.
• Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and
• bring to a boil.
• Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice,
• capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of
• extra-virgin olive oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from
• each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but
• not hard.
• Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
• Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4
• minutes then add the remaining garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the
• mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with wine, cook off
• 1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with
• salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to remaining sauce and turn to coat.
• Serve large balls, 3 per person, along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass
• extra cheese at the tables.

BIG-BATCH MEATBALLS AND RED SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Swirl the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is just lightly browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water, and bring to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the basil and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Tear the bread into very small pieces and put it in a small bowl. Pour the milk over the bread, and let sit until the bread is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the bread mixture with the beef, pork, Parmesan, eggs, onions, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, and thoroughly mix with your hands. Divide the mixture evenly into 36 mounds, and roll each into a ball.
• Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets generously with oil. Evenly divide the meatballs between the sheets, and roll them around to coat in oil. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, rotating the sheets halfway through if needed, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the meatballs to the warm sauce, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, divide evenly among four 1-quart containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
• To reheat: Let a container of the meatballs and sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer them to a microwave-safe container, and microwave in 2-minute increments, gently stirring after each, until the meatballs are heated through.

BUCATINI WITH BACON SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the bacon sauce: Cut the bacon into pieces. Using a big saute pan or skillet that has a cover, cook over medium heat until almost crispy. Don't drain the fat. Add the onions to the pan. When the onions are almost cooked and start to become translucent, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and then add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for about an hour to an hour and a half.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, garlic, eggs and some salt and pepper. Form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure to turn every few minutes to brown on all sides.
• Cook the bucatini according to the package directions.
• Serve the bacon sauce over the pasta with the meatballs on the side. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

THE BIG MEATBALL

Steps:

• Preaheat oven to 350°.
• In a big mixing bowl, combine the beef, sausage, bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and eggs (this works best if you use your hands).
• Place the meat in the center of a 13x9 inch baking dish; shape mixture into a smooth rounded dome 3-4 inches high.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
• Spoon or drain off any fat in the dish.
• Pour the marinara sauce over the loaf and bake 20 minutes; let stand 10 minutes.
• Serve meatloaf cut in wedges with about 2/3 cup sauce per serving.
• Left-overs: cut into chunks and reheat in additional marinara sauce; serve spooned into hero or grinder rolls; add a few slices of mozzarella cheese and sauteed green pepper, if you wish.

BIG BEEF BALLS WITH BUCATINI

Steps:

• Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions in 1 tablespoon of the EVOO (once around the pan) for 5 minutes. Remove the onions and set them aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, mix the meat with half the onions, 3 cloves of the chopped garlic, the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice, capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a healthy drizzle of EVOO. Score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes until firm but not hard.
• Drop the bucatini in the salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta.
• While the pasta and meatballs are cooking, heat another tablespoon of EVOO in the skillet in which the onions were cooked. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the remaining garlic and the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add the remaining onions back and deglaze the pan with the red wine, cook for 1 minute, add the beef stock, and whisk up any brown bits. Stir in the tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Toss the pasta with half the sauce. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the remaining sauce, turning to coat. Serve 3 meatballs per person alongside the pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass extra cheese at the table. Serve with a green salad.