Family Meal Spaghetti With Ricotta Meatballs With Pecorino Garlic Bread Recipes

FAMILY MEAL: SPAGHETTI WITH RICOTTA MEATBALLS WITH PECORINO GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Before You Cook Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Let preheat, at least 10 minutes Bring a medium pot of water to a boil If using any fresh produce, thoroughly rinse and pat dry Prepare a baking sheet with foil Be sure to scrape out all the cream sauce from the carton; some might stick! Separation is natural when shipping liquid eggs. Shake well before using. Cooking Guidelines To ensure food safety, the FDA recommends the following as minimum internal cooking temperatures: Steak and Pork 145° F (rest cooked meat, 3 minutes) | Seafood 145° F | Chicken 165° F | Ground Beef 160° F | Ground Turkey 165° F | Ground Pork 160° F 1 Prepare the Ingredients Finely mince garlic and divide into three equal piles. Stem and mince parsley. Halve baguette lengthwise. 2 Form the Meatballs Thoroughly combine ground beef, liquid egg, ricotta cheese, half the pecorino cheese (reserve remaining for garlic bread), breadcrumbs, parsley (reserve a pinch for garnish), 1/3 the garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a mixing bowl. Divide and shape mixture into ten meatballs roughly the size of ping-pong balls. 3 Sear the Meatballs Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. olive oil and meatballs to hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 6-9 minutes. 4 Make the Sauce Add half the remaining garlic to hot pan with meatballs and cook until aromatic, 30 seconds. Add marinara sauce and 1/4 cup water to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees, 8-10 minutes. If marinara sauce appears too thick, add up to 1/2 cup water to loosen. 5 Make Pasta and Garlic Bread Season boiling water with a large pinch of salt. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, 9-10 minutes. Drain in colander and toss with 1 tsp. olive oil. While pasta cooks, combine 1 Tbsp. olive oil, remaining garlic, and remaining pecorino (reserve a generous pinch for garnish) in a small bowl. Spread mixture on cut sides of baguette, place on baking sheet, and bake until golden brown, 6-9 minutes. 6 Plate the Dish Place a portion of pasta in a large bowl. Top with sauce and arrange meatballs on top. Garnish with reserved pecorino cheese and parsley. Serve with garlic bread.

OUR FAVORITE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the tomato sauce:
• Heat a large, wide pot over medium-low and add oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden brown on all sides (if it starts to burn, reduce heat), 8-10 minutes. While garlic cooks, break up tomatoes into smaller pieces with a paring knife or kitchen shears. When garlic is almost ready, add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, oregano, and pepper and stir, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until well combined.
• Increase heat slightly and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and flavors have concentrated, at least 2 hours and up to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs:
• Place bread in a medium bowl, add milk, and let rest until moistened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze bread with your hands to remove excess milk, discarding milk. Tear bread into smaller, pea-size pieces and return to the medium bowl.
• Combine beef, pork, veal, eggs, garlic, 1 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup parsley, 1 tsp. salt, oregano, pepper, fennel, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Using your hands, gently mix in bread until ingredients are evenly distributed (do not overmix).
• Fill a small bowl with cool water. Moisten your hands and roll meat mixture between palms into golf-ball-sized balls, occasionally moistening hands as needed. Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet-you should have about 24-and chill until sauce is ready.
• Finish the sauce and cook the meatballs and pasta:
• After 2-3 hours of simmering, pluck out bay leaves and add basil. Using an immersion blender (or transfer sauce to a food processor or blender, working in batches, if necessary), purée until slightly chunky but not smooth. Reserve 1 1/2 cups sauce; keep remaining sauce in pot warm over very low heat.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add oil. Once hot, add meatballs to skillet (without crowding) and work in batches to brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes per batch. Return meatballs to baking sheet as you brown them.
• Once all meatballs are browned, add them to pot with tomato sauce. If your pot is not large enough, divide sauce and meatballs between 2 pots. Increase heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and return pasta to pot over medium-low heat. Spoon reserved 1 1/2 cups sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed to loosen sauce and coat pasta.
• Divide pasta among plates and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup parsley.
• Do Ahead
• Sauce can be made, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Meatballs can be shaped and refrigerated 1 day in advance. Meatballs can be cooked in sauce, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.