Spaghetti and Meatballs
April 12, 2011
Spaghetti and Meatballs (recipe adapted from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style)
My notes: This is my go-to recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. I took a cue from another recipe of Ina’s and discovered an easy shortcut that I’m sure she would approve. Instead of frying the meatballs on the stove-top and making a mess, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake them in the oven. This is a great dinner sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup water (optional)
sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
other
- 2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation
Make the meatballs. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a heavy-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, and using your hands, combine the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water (optional). Form into similar sized meatballs, about two inches each. Line meatballs on baking sheet and bake until browned and juices run clear, about 25 minutes.
Make the sauce. Over medium heat, add olive oil to large frying pan. Add onions and garlic and fry until onions soften. Add the wine and increase heat to high. Cook until wine cooks down. Turn heat down to low, and stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve over spaghetti with Parmesan cheese.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to consider: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
If you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you! Your feedback in the comments section below is essential to the success of this blog. -Michael
Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari, and Basil
October 3, 2010
Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari, and Basil (recipe by Bon Appétit, September 2010)
My notes: Chocked full of plenty of shrimp and calamari, this light rigatoni dish comes from new restaurant Marea in New York (“The 10 Best New Restaurants in America,” Bon Appétit, September 2010). Seafood lovers will love the clean, simple flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, divided
- 14 ounces cleaned calamari (bodies only; tentacles reserved for another use), divided
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large)
- 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
- 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
Preparation
Place half of shrimp in medium bowl. Slice half of calamari crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide rings and place in small bowl.
Coarsely chop remaining shrimp and calamari; place in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until shrimp mixture is finely chopped. Transfer to another medium bowl.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 5 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sauté until leeks are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add chopped shrimp mixture; stir until shrimp and calamari are just opaque, about 2 minutes. Add clam juice and peas; simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside; cover to keep warm.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved whole shrimp and sauté 2 minutes. Add calamari rings to shrimp; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until just opaque, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add chopped shrimp and calamari sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup basil and toss to blend.
Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top each serving with sautéed shrimp mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil. Pass additional cheese separately and serve.
Calamari sourcing and prep notes: Surprisingly, my grocery store Jewel in Chicago does not sell calamari. However, I found a one pound bag of prepared, frozen squid rings at my local Asian supermarket, which I thought was really convenient. I simply sliced some of the thicker rings in half to get as close to 1/3″ wide as possible. Make sure calamari (and shrimp) is completely dry. I wrap it up in a flour sack towel and squeeze out the moisture.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to consider: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
If you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you! Your feedback in the comments section below is essential to the success of this blog. -Michael
Rigatoni with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream
September 24, 2010
Rigatoni with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream (recipe by Bon Appétit, September 2010)
Do you love saffron? Have a favorite pasta dish to share? Your recipe links are welcome in the comments below. If you like coq au vin, also try Zesty Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers.
- 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds chicken thighs with skin and bones
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped white onions
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
- 2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
- 1 pound paccheri (giant rigatoni) or regular rigatoni
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, to skillet and cook until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to drippings in skillet; sauté until onions are slightly softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and saffron to skillet; bring to boil. Continue to boil until liquid is thickened and reduced by less than half, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth to skillet. Return chicken to skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer gently until chicken is very tender (adjust heat to prevent boiling and turn chicken over after 30 minutes), about 1 hour total. Transfer chicken to plate and cool.
Reserve skillet with juices. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Tear chicken meat into bite-size pieces; place in medium bowl and reserve.
Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, spoon off fat from juices in skillet; discard fat. Add cream to juices in skillet and boil until sauce is reduced to 2 1/2 cups and is thick enough to coat spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then chicken pieces. Stir over medium heat until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin sauce as needed and adding more lemon juice by teaspoonfuls, if desired, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken mixture to pasta in pot and toss to coat. Stir in basil. Transfer pasta to plates.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to consider: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
If you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you! Your feedback in the comments section below is essential to the success of this blog. -Michael
Tagliatelle With Fresh Corn Pesto
July 28, 2010
Tagliatelle With Fresh Corn Pesto (recipe by Bon Appétit, August 2010)
My notes: It’s not even August 1st and yet I’ve almost had my culinary fill of fresh corn for the season. My friend John noted that “you have to pace yourself.” Still, corn pesto sounded very enticing, and the recipe description said “the dish has a creamy richness that’s reminiscent of carbonara” but without the cream. John had also shared with us corn he had just purchased from a secret vendor in Cuba City, Wisconsin, so I had good reason to use up some of the best corn around.
My partner David loved the pasta dish, but for me the amount of pine nuts was overwelming. If you are in the mood for adventure, it is worth trying, but I doubt I would make this one twice.
Ingredients
- 4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
- 3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided
Preparation
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.
Prep Tip
I recently learned an easy way to take corn off the cob from a Paula Deen “how to” video. Stand the corn cob up and put the tapered (or smaller) end into the hole of a bundt pan and slice the corn off. Most of it (but not all) will fall into the bundt pan. Be careful not to nick up your pan though.
What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to review: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com
Like this:
Orecchiette With Cauliflower, Anchovies, and Fried Croutons (photo and recipe by Bon Appetit, May 2010)
I love roasted cauliflower, so I had to try this recipe. I thought the ratio of pasta to cauliflower was too high, and despite the use of anchovies, the flavor was a bit bland. If were to make it again I would add more anchovies, less pasta, and some cayenne pepper to perk it up some. That being said, I paired it with a very zesty baked catfish so it worked out quite well. It was a nice meal.
rating: oo (= oishii)
“Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious, and I rate recipes on a four o(ishii) system:
oooo (= favorite)
ooo (= very oishii)
oo (= oishii)
o (= not so oishii)
zero o’s (= why bother)
Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Asparagus
April 6, 2010
Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Asparagus (photo and recipe by Bon Appetit, June 2010)
I’m not a big fan of goat cheese, but this was really good! It’s seasonal cooking, vegetarian, and fast food all in one, and the perfect reason to buy a pound of fresh asparagus. I served it with leftover Sauteed Chicken Paillards With Artichoke Hearts and a fruit cup of strawberries and pineapple.
rating: ooo (= very oishii)
“Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious, and I rate recipes on a four o(ishii) system:
oooo (= favorite)
ooo (= very oishii)
oo (= oishii)
o (= not so oishii)
zero o’s (= why bother)
Spaghetti Carbonara with Green Peas
March 11, 2010
Spaghetti Carbonora with Green Peas
I love spaghetti carbonara, but only make it on rare occasion due to the high amount of cream and fat contained in it. I splurged and tried this version with green peas. In addition to the robins singing and daffodils poking their heads out of the ground now, these kinds of recipes are a reminder that spring is almost here. I substituted bacon for pancetta and did not discard the garlic.
rating: oo (= oishii)
“Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious, and I rate recipes on a four o(ishii) system:
oooo (= favorite)
ooo (= very oishii)
oo (= oishii)
o (= not so oishii)
zero o’s (= why bother)
