Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini

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Picture of Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini Recipe Photo: Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini Recipe
Rated 4 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
50 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Yield:
4 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 2 small to medium yellow onion, 1 grated and 1 finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of overflowing handfuls
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves, 4 to 6 sprigs
  • A couple generous handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 pound bucatini (thick, hollow spaghetti)
  • 1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
  • 12 baby portobello caps, (crimini mushrooms), chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine, eyeball it
  • 1 cup, (8 ounces), beef stock
  • 1 (28-ounce), can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano if available

Directions

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.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 69 reviews

  • on July 09, 2011

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    Excellent. Replaced the pancetta with bacon as it can really handle a hearty flavor

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on July 03, 2011

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    This was really, really good. If I ordered this in a high-end restaurant, I would not have been disappointed. Loved it!

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on May 15, 2011

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    This is my absolute go-to recipe for meatballs. I make a big ol' batch, freeze most of them, make my favorite sauce and freeze it, and we love it every time. I make them small, I make them big... we love them! Not a great fan of some of Rachel's "fusion-style" recipes, but this one is a winner.

    people found this review Helpful.
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