kristi + bill's baked meatballs with pappardelle ribbons
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 extra-large eggs
4 Tbl. milk
2 handfuls grated
Parmesan cheese
Basil (fresh or dried), to taste
Parsley (flat-leaf or dried), to taste
Salt and pepper
1 Tbl. olive oil
Sauce
2 yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbl. olive oil
2 bunches chives Fresh basil, to taste
Salt and pepper
2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
1 cup red wine
4 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
Pasta
2 lb. pappardelle (buy it fresh!)
Directions
1. Combine first 10 ingredients for meatballs in a bowl (make sure eggs are well incorporated). Form mixture into golfball-size balls.
2. Place in a baking dish with 1 Tbl. olive oil in bottom. Coat meatballs in oil. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prep the sauce: Dice onions, mince garlic and sauté both in a pot with 1 Tbl. olive oil over medium heat. Chop chives, rip basil by hand into rough pieces and add both to onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once onions begin to soften, add tomato paste; mix well and cook 5 minutes. Add red wine and cook 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and mix well. Season sauce with more salt and pepper. Turn heat to a simmer, stirring sauce periodically.
5. Serve meatballs and sauce over pappardelle ribbons and top with grated Parmesan. There will be sauce left over, so freeze it! Serves 8.
"If you don't eat beef, pork or veal, you can substitute ground turkey and this still comes out delicious."