Spaghetti with Lion's Head Meatballs

Recipe courtesy Ying Compestine, Lafayette, CA

Show: Ultimate Recipe ShowdownEpisode: Ultimate Recipe Showdown: Pasta

Rated 4 stars out of 5
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Read 8 Reviews
Total Time:
50 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup "lite" coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 pound lean ground pork or beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup minced leek, white and pale green part only
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons seeded and minced fresh chile pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces spaghetti or spaghettini
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or Thai basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

Directions

Combine coconut milk, soy sauce and curry powder in a large saucepan. Set aside.

Place pork or beef, scallions, leek, cornstarch, flour, sesame oil, ginger, chile, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Knead by hand until thoroughly combined and the mixture becomes sticky. To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate the meatball mixture for up to 2 days.

Divide into 10 equal portions, about 1/4 cup each. Roll each portion into a ball.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the sides. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Bring the coconut-milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.

In large saucepot, prepare spaghetti in boiling water as label directs; drain and keep warm.

Spoon meatballs and sauce over spaghetti. Garnish with basil and lemon zest. Serve hot.

Please note this contestant had an almost identical recipe published in Cooking Light Magazine in 2002. It's reprinted online at myrecipe.com -- It is her recipe however. Permission might legally have to be gotten from the magazine.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 8 reviews

  • on February 11, 2011

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    this was So good!! used rice instead of spaghetti, cause it just seemed to go better. to the person talking about 'family meals' you are truly 'out of it'! Of course your kids will not try new things, you are raising them with their head in the sand. if you want family meals, i'm sure you can just 'search' family meals and the website will provide a large amount of things you wuld like. don't hate on what you don't try....

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  • on December 30, 2008

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    Who cares if this is a family dinner? I don't come to this site looking for family dinners and as a child my parents exposed me to all types of food. What do you think children of ethnic cultures eat at home? Do Indian kids eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese? They might, but I'm sure they mostly eat what their parents eat, they eat curry, rice, dosas, paneer, mango lassis etc.

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  • on May 11, 2008

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    I love this recipe! It's a great twist on an old classic. I actually substituted in ground turkey for the ground beef and pork and it was still fantastic. I'm a beginning cook so I really like meals that are easy to make that still taste great.

    people found this review Helpful.
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