Winter is here! We had the first snow on November 1st. Oh wait, there was a storm in September as well but I guess that was a fluke so doesn’t really count but now is definitely here to stay. What is worse, is that I am looking at usually six months of cold and maybe snow from now on, which kinda sucks. But not everything is bad, there are less distractions than during summer, which means now I can really focus on my blog and do some cooking as well, this week I decided to share a pasta recipe.
I am not very fond of pasta in general, but I managed to find another dish that I really liked, bringing the total number of recipes in my pasta and noodles category… to two. Wooohoo!!! Pretty sad I know, but wife is the opposite (like they usually are), she loves pasta and her blog pretty much reflects it, possibly the reason behind my lack of interest in this type of dish. Still I have been known to enjoy some pasta every now and then and this one has always been one of my faves so I decided to share it with the WOOOOOOOORLD. Enjoy!
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 lb extra lean ground pork
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
- ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
- ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil (for sauteing the onion)
- 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- 1 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Onion is optional for the meatballs mix, but if you decide to use it (meatballs get a nice sweetness), chop it as small as small as possible and charamelize for a few minutes into a medium size skillet, using a tablespoon of vegetable oil. When it becomes translucent you are ready to add it to your meatballs mix.
- In a large bowl, mix all the meatballs ingredients together (including onions) and using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.
- In a large skillet heat some oil and carefully place the meatballs in and brown them on all sides on medium-low heat; usually takes around 10 minutes. You are going to need a serious quantity of oil, like maybe ¼ cup but it all depends of the size of your skillet. However, you can bake them as well; align them on a baking sheet and bake on 400° F / 205° C for about 20 minutes.
- When done, set meatballs aside and discard the remaining oil; do not clean the pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, heat on medium then add the onion, finely chopped and saute for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about three minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot over spaghetti.
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