Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [41]
1 Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and add the pancetta; bring to medium heat and cook the pancetta for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions and red pepper and season generously with salt; cook until the onions are soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2 Add the tomatoes to the pot along with 2 cups of water, adding up to another cup as needed for consistency during the cooking process. Season generously with salt and taste the sauce. Tomatoes need a lot of salt to bring out their best flavor, so don’t be shy here. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently. You’ll probably need to reseason along the way—that’s just how this sauce rolls.
3 Use the sauce right away or let it cool and store in the refrigerator for a few days; it also freezes really well.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil, add the onions, and bring to medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes; turn off the heat and let everything cool.
2 In a large bowl combine the beef, veal, pork, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with salt. Using your hands, squish the mixture well to combine. Add the onions and about ½ cup water. Squish, squish, and squish until everything is well combined—the mixture should be quite wet. To check your seasoning, make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty out of the mix; bring a small sauté pan to medium-high heat, add a bit of olive oil, and cook the patty until it’s done. Taste it to make sure the seasoning is on the money (it’s a travesty to have an underseasoned ball, so don’t skip this step!).
3 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4 Using damp hands, shape the meat into balls, whatever size you like—some people like big balls, some people like small balls. I like them a little bigger than a golf ball. Put the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through. Then, coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. If using them right away, toss them in your big pot of sauce with spaghetti, or whatever pasta you like. Drizzle with big fat finishing oil and sprinkle with Parm, toss vigorously, and serve. If you’re not using them right away, freeze them on a baking sheet and then toss them in a baggie.
Magnifico meatbawls!
If you have a pot of sauce, you can always pull these meatballs out of the freezer & toss them straight into the sauce—no need to defrost them first!
SERVES: 4 TO 6 • TIME: ABOUT 45 MINUTES WITH PREMADE PASTA DOUGH
Where I come from, corn is the epitome of a summer vegetable; we used to drive out to the fields to get ours fresh and just leave our money in a can on the side of the road. So in this dish I combine corn with lovely little cherry tomatoes sautéed until they burst out of excitement, letting their delightful juices flow! Add some bacon and this sauce just steps up, pokes you, and says, “Hi, I’m summer, glad to see you!”
MISE EN PLACE
4 ears of corn, shucked
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
¼ pound slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, assorted colors
1½ cups chicken or veggie stock
1 recipe Chef Anne’s All-Purpose Pasta Dough, cut into tagliatelle, or 1 pound fresh tagliatelle
1½ cups baby arugula
Big fat finishing oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 Preheat a grill or broiler.
2 Rub the corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil or grill the corn until charred on all sides. Cut the kernels off the cob, then run a knife down the cob again to get the remaining sweet bits.
3 Coat a large wide pan with olive oil. Toss in the bacon, garlic, and red pepper; bring to medium-high heat. When the garlic turns golden and is very aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes, remove it from the pan and ditch it—it has fulfilled its