I have been using this recipe for a long time now, and I never tire of it. It’s a very unique way of cooking the meatballs, and I borrowed some of the ideas from Joe Bastianich, one of my favorite celebrity cooks. It all works perfectly together, and I’m 100% sure you will keep this recipe in your records. I made this batch with ground beef, but you can easily substitute it with turkey or a beef/pork mix. It all works, and your dinner will be a hit.
What you’ll need:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion
- 1 small carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- salt
- 1 pound of pasta of your choice
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley in a food processor or blender and process to make a smooth paste. Scrape half of the paste into a large bowl, and save the other half in a small container.
In the large bowl with the paste, add ground beef, egg, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Mix with your hands and form 15 to 18 meatballs. Spray an oven proof pan with cooking spray and place the meatballs in it. Bake for 15 minutes, turning once.
Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package. Retain 3 cups of the water you cooked the pasta in.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the other half of the vegetable paste to it and cook it until it’s dry and starts sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes and 3 cups of the pasta water. Bring to a simmer and add the oregano. Season with salt. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, then add the pasta to the sauce. transfer to a bowl and serve with garlic bread and extra parmesan cheese.
Bon Appétit!
For more info on Joe Bastianich click here
