Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Show: 30 Minute MealsEpisode: Say Thank You in 30

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (79)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(79)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 50 min

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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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Comments & Reviews

recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
April New York, NY 10-14-2009
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amazing meatballs!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

So I didn't have time to read all of the reviews until now (I just finished my plate of big beef meatballs). And I TOTALLY... agree w/ what people are saying about how long this took. I think of all the RR dishes I have ever made, this one took the longest! However, these meatballs are SO GOOD! So good in fact that as I was eating them I couldn't believe I made them! I followed the recipe exactly and got tender, flavorful, deliciousness. Def make these meatballs!!!Read more
recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
Pamela Diboll, TX 09-21-2009
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Awesome!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

It took just under an hour from scratch to finish. Everyone raved at the taste of the sauce and the unusual meatballs. I... order San Marzano tomatoes from an Italian store online and they always are a crowd pleaser in any recipe. Believe me, superior ingredients make better dishes. This one will be eaten again in our house! Read more
recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
Shar Hamtown, null 09-10-2009
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BIG BEEF MEATBALLS WITH BUCATINI
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was excellent. I don't know where people are saying it took all afternoon! I was done in 45 minutes and it was... absolutely declicious. I guess maybe some of the comments are from pretty "newbie" cooks.Read more
recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
INGRID Hattiesburg, MS 08-29-2009
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Very good!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I agree that it takrs more than 30 minutes to get everything ready! However it is worth it. The meat mixture smelled good... enough to eat raw, as I was preparing it. :-) I used my icec ream scoop to make 12 perfect meatballs. The sauce was a little too sour/tangy for our taste, but that can depend on the tomatoes used, so I added 1 T of sugar and it was perfect.Let it simmer longer. Next time I would not toss the pasta with 1/2 the sauce. The pasta just slurped it up and there is not enough saiuce left for all those meat balls. It was all a little dry and we like lots of sauce. I also ca't imagine how 4 people can eat all that food? My husband and I could barely eat 3 meatballs between us.And I only served a salad on the side. I will make this again, double the sauce and serve it to 6 hungry people!Read more
recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
Kimberly Mc Leansville, NC 08-16-2009
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Yummy!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ok, first - this is so not a 30 minute meal but it is VERY good! It took me about an hour and a half start to finish. ... Strongly recommend chopping everthing before preparing this meal - it made it very easy to put everything together as I had the ingredients ready in small bowls. The meatballs are very filling - two per person is more than enough. I did not let the wine cook off enough so the sauce had a slight flavor of wine - will let it cook off a little longer next time. I also will use Chianti vs the Cab I had on hand tonight. I could not find the Bucatini so use regular spaghetti - it was just fine. I also used dry minced garlic that I had on hand (forgot to buy garlic cloves). The meatballs are very filling - two per person is more than enough. The meal received rave reviews and I will most definitely make it again.Read more
recipe Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
DANIELLA Tucson, AZ 08-12-2009
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Yummy! But it took longer than 30 minutes
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

This is very good and I am sorry that I read all the reviews stating it didn't have enough flavor!!! I added too much salt... because some people don't like the amount salt that is in the pancetta or the cappers. Who are these people??? I will say that it took my husband and I about 1 hour and 20 minutes from start to finish though. That is why I gave it 4 stars instead of the 5 it deserves. I also like Emeril's Firehouse sauce meat balls a lot. That recipe takes about 3 hours but he tells it takes that long up front. I love RR but it was difficult to serve this recipe when my kids were starving. Read more