Bucatini With Meatball Dumplings Recipes

BUCATINI WITH BACON SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the bacon sauce: Cut the bacon into pieces. Using a big saute pan or skillet that has a cover, cook over medium heat until almost crispy. Don't drain the fat. Add the onions to the pan. When the onions are almost cooked and start to become translucent, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and then add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for about an hour to an hour and a half.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, garlic, eggs and some salt and pepper. Form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure to turn every few minutes to brown on all sides.
• Cook the bucatini according to the package directions.
• Serve the bacon sauce over the pasta with the meatballs on the side. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

BIG BEEF MEATBALLS WITH BUCATINI

Steps:

• Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice, capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but not hard.
• Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
• Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4 minutes then add the remaining garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with wine, cook off 1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to remaining sauce and turn to coat. Serve large balls, 3 per person, along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass extra cheese at the tables.

BUCATINI WITH MEATBALL DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• For the meatballs, rough chop the cotto and finely chop in a food processor. Place ground ham and ground raw meats in a large bowl, make a well, and season the meats with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl, and let it absorb into breadcrumbs. Add ricotta and egg to the well, cheese, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, fennel and EVOO. Add breadcrumbs to well and mix until just combined. Roll meat into 2-2 ¼-inch balls and place on parchment-lined tray. For the sauce, place a large Dutch oven over medium heat with EVOO and melt butter into oil. Add garlic and onion, heat to infuse the garlic into oil and butter, then add the tomatoes, passata, stock, salt, sugar and basil. Simmer 30 minutes, then add the meatball dumplings to the bubbling sauce, reduce heat to low simmer and cook partially covered 1-1 ½ hours, gently stirring occasionally. To serve, bring water to a boil, season with salt and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve about ¾ cup starchy water before draining. Drain pasta and toss with butter, a little more than half the red sauce, grated cheese and starchy water as needed to keep the pasta saucy, evenly coated, and the sauce emulsified. Arrange meatballs on a platter or bowls of bucatini. Pass extra sauce and cheese at table