Last night, however, this all changed. Monday evening, I made lasagna rolls from Giada's Family Dinners cookbook, which also called for making homemade marinara sauce. Historically, I have used jarred sauces when recipes call for a red sauce out of convenience. Monday I had the time to give her quick marinara sauce a whirl. The sauce was great, and even better, made enough for another meal.
Now to last night's dinner of Spicy Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti (recipe to follow). The Barefoot Contessa has a great recipe for meatballs out of her cookbook How Easy is That? I had not tried them before, but these had been recommended as a must try.
Ingredients:
3 cups (1-inch diced) bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
2/3 cup whole milk
2 pounds ground turkey (85-percent to 92-percent lean)
1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3 (24-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
2 pounds dried spaghetti, such as De Cecco
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving
Directions:
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.
(Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?)
The combination of ground turkey, pork sausage and prosciutto was delicious with the turkey assuming the role formerly played by ground beef. Ground turkey will truly take on the flavors it is mixed with, and I will oftentimes use it in meat sauce or chili.
What I especially loved about this recipe is that you bake the meatballs instead of pan frying. I have my own recipe for meatballs, which isn't half bad, but it requires browning and cooking them in the pan. This was so much easier. Once baked, just transfer them to the sauce and allow to simmer.
Truth be told, the family was pretty excited to have good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs last night. In this blogging endeavor, I have tried to be slightly more adventurous. Sometimes some pasta and a nice glass of wine are as satisfying as the fanciest of meals. (Not that the kids had the wine - that was for Mom and Dad only.)
I detect an Italian theme emerging. perhaps you and Walter need to take a trip.
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