Get Cooking_ 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen - Mollie Katzen [35]
2. Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the spaghetti, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting a strand toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, dump the water-plus-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging), then transfer the spaghetti to a large bowl and immediately drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat.
3. You can serve this in one of two ways: Dump all the sauce-plus-meatballs into the bowlful of pasta, shake and toss to mix, top with Parmesan, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley, and serve right away. Or make individual servings, using tongs to place some spaghetti onto each plate and then ladling on a generous amount of the meatballs and sauce. Serve hot, passing around the Parmesan, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley so people can customize their spaghetti-and-meatball experience.
GET CREATIVE
Don’t forget the joys of a meatball sandwich. Just split a sandwich roll (toast it under the broiler or, buttered, in a skillet, if you like), ladle on meatballs and sauce, and sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top.
You can also add these meatballs to a soup, or make them smaller and serve them, sauceless, on toothpicks for a great party snack.
Add a teaspoon of dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano) to the meatball mixture.
meatballs
Makes about 24 medium-sized meatballs
Of course meatballs go superbly with spaghetti, but they’re also great as a main dish on their own, with or without the tomato sauce. If you’re going the classic spaghetti-and-meatballs route, brown the meatballs in a soup pot or a Dutch oven so you can add the sauce to the same pot. If your meatballs have a different destiny that does not involve a sauce, you can cook them in a skillet instead.
1/3 cup toasted whole wheat breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas)
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup very finely minced yellow onion
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chuck
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1. In a medium-large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for a minute or two.
2. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Add the egg, cheese, parsley, onion, salt, and about 5 grinds of black pepper to the breadcrumb mixture, mixing well with your fingers.
3. Crumble in the ground beef, and use your hands to mix everything gently until it’s just combined.
4. Set out a tray or a couple of dinner plates to hold the formed meatballs. Wet your hands with cold water and gently roll the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls, placing them on the tray or plate as you go. You should end up with about 24 meatballs. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw meat.
5. Place a soup pot, Dutch oven, or large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pot. Add just enough meatballs to fit comfortably, and cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, or until the surface touching the pot is deeply browned.
6. Turn the meatballs carefully with tongs to brown them all over. They are done when no longer pink in the middle (you can peek with the tip of a sharp knife). Total cooking time should be 10 to 12 minutes. If you have more raw meatballs to cook, take the cooked ones out of the pot, set them on a clean plate, and cover them loosely with foil. Brown the remaining ones, adding more olive oil to the pot for each batch.
7. Once all the meatballs are fully cooked, return them to the pot to reheat briefly. They’re now ready to be eaten as is, or simmered gently in your favorite tomato sauce and tossed with pasta.
quick and easy spinach lasagna
Makes 8 to 10 servings