Barefoot Bloggers: Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

Today's edition of"Barefoot Bloggers" is Ina Garten's Real Meatballs and Spaghetti. This recipe was chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake. I guess I have been making fake meatballs all this time but now I have the secret-- straight from the master. Actually, Ina tells us (in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook) that spaghetti and meatballs was not something her mother made while she was growing up, so she had to do some research about the dish. She tells us that "the best idea came from the famous New York Italian restaurant called Rao's"--where they add water to the meatballs, which keeps them "moist and delicious." I really liked the meatballs--they WERE moist, light, and delicious--but found them a bit salty. I find in general, that Ina has a bit of a heavy hand with the salt. I cut the salt down to about 1 1/3 t kosher salt--yet I still found the meatballs a bit too salty. That also may have been due to the seasoned bread crumbs. I might use only 1 t of salt the next time I make them. Also I think next time I would bake the meatballs rather than fry them in order to cut down on the fat. Ina's sauce was good but not great. It was missing that certain something that makes you want to take a piece of bread and sop up all the extra sauce on your plate. Maybe some fresh basil would be a nice addition. I would definitely make this dish again with a few tweaks. Bon Appetit!!!

FINAL VERDICT:

Meatballs--Great!
Sauce--Needs something.....not sure what.

REAL MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

For the Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 C fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed) (NOTE: I used 1 C only of seasoned dry bread crumbs and
omitted the fresh ones)
1/4 C seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 t kosher salt (NOTE: I used 1 1/3 t and I thought THAT was too much)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
3/4 C warm water
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 T good olive oil
1 C chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 C good red wine, such as Chianti
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 T kosher salt (may want to cut down a little)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For Serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package direction
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 C warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs. (NOTE: I used a small ice-cream-type scoop to measure out the meat and then formed them into balls with my hands. I ended up with about 30 meatballs.)

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan cheese.

Some helpful hints from Ina:

When you cook spaghetti, don't use oil in the water; the sauce will stick better.

When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it in a colander. If you don't use it right away, run hot water over it and it will separate.

I (Ina) use Pepperidge Farm sandwich white bread for fresh bread crumbs.

Marianne's Mac 'n' Cheez for Boy #2

Boy #2 has been bugging me for weeks to make the mac & cheese recipe he found in a Nickelodeon kids' (obviously) cookbook we have. I finally got around to it and it was pretty good. I still think I like Ina Garten's recipe better--but this was good. It was easy and surprisingly quick to prepare. Buying pre-shredded cheese made it even easier.

MARIANNE'S MAC 'N' CHEEZ
from Stir Squirt Sizzle, a Nick cookbook

6 T unsalted butter
1/2 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour
4 C milk ( NOTE: I used skim--not that it will help!)
1 1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 t cayenne, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 C coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1 1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 C fresh bread crumbs (NOTE: I omitted these)


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a long, shallow baking dish (like a 13-by-9-inch pan).
2. With an adult's help, melt the butter in a big saucepan over low heat. Add the flour slowly while whisking until it's completely combined.
3. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the milk, slowly pouring it in as you whisk. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and add the mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
4. Let the mixture simmer, whisking it occasionally, until it begins to thicken. This should take about 2 minutes.
5, Meanwhile, cook the macaroni by following the instructions on the box, undercooking it the teeniest bit.
6. Combine the macaroni, the sauce, the Cheddar cheese, and 1 C of the Parmesan in a big bowl. Mix it all up and pour it into the baking dish.
7. In a smaller bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 C Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle it on top of the macaroni and cheese. (NOTE: I just sprinkled the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top)
8. Have an adult place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is so golden and bubbly that you can't bear to wait another minute.

Serves 4 to 6.