Comfort foods are a must in the midst of a rough El Ninõ winter - and nothing says cozy more than slow simmered meatballs over a bed of pasta. I prefer the thicker Linguine noodle to the shoestring Spaghetti, but whatever makes you happy. Use the search tool or click here to see a previous post for home made marinara sauce.
Using different proteins add deeper umami. Lean sirloin offers rich beef flavor while ground pork delivers sweeter accents and the needed fat to make up for the leanness of the beef.
The meatballs will continue to cook, absorbing more flavors, while they simmer in the sauce.
What you will need:
Ingredients:
Ground Sirloin - 1/2 lb
Ground pork - 1/2 lb
Parsley - 1/8 cup chopped
Basil - 2 Tbsp chopped
Garlic - 3 bulbs
Spanish Onion - 1/2 chopped
Olive Oil - 2 Tbsp
Eggs - 2
Salt - 1 Tbsp
Pepper - 1 Tbsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 Tbsp
Bread crumbs - 1/2 Cup
Oatmeal - 1/8 Cup
Brown Sugar - 2 Tbsp
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Prepare marinara sauce and simmer.
Combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, chili flakes and half of the salt and pepper in a large sauté pan over medium heat to breakdown onions and garlic. Once translucent, remove from heat and set aside to cool, leaving as much of the remaining oil in the pan.
In a large mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand. Yes, by hand. It's cold, and gooey, and awesome! Fold in the slightly cooled onion mixture.
Now that you have a consistent meat loaf, pinch off small hunks to form balls in your hands and place in the onion mixture oil over medium heat. You can make your meatballs any size you want - golfball sized meatballs will yield about 15-16 balls which is about an ounce a piece if you do the math. Bigger will take a little longer to cook through, but it's your party, do what you want! Brown the meatballs on all sides to create that crisp texture and sealing in the juices. I love using the stainless steel All-Clad pans, because you can put the whole thing right in the oven. If you're not using a stainless steel pan, transfer the meatballs to a cookie sheet and put in the oven for a couple of minutes to finish crisping the outside.
Transfer the meatballs to the simmering marinara sauce while you make your pasta. Or make yourself a cocktail and relax while they simmer away until you are ready to Enjoy your feast.
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