Name: Fresh Busiate with Meatballs in Sugo
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H45M0.000S
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 2 cups fine semolina, plus more as needed; Kosher salt; 3/4 cup cool water, plus more as needed; 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus more for garnish; 4 ounces pancetta, diced; 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled; 1 medium carrot, cut into chunks; 1 small onion, cut into chunks; 1 stalk celery, cut into chunks, plus celery leaves for garnish; 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk; 1 large egg; 24 ounces ground pork; 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs, plus more for garnish; 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 ounce); 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 ounce); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; Kosher salt; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed and for drizzling; 1/2 cup dry red wine; Two 24.5-ounce jars tomato passata; 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch; 1 large sprig fresh basil; Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes; Kosher salt; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 ounce); 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 ounce); 1 small chunk ricotta salata, for grating, optional

Directions

Special equipment:

a wooden dowel, skewer or ferretto

For the busiate: Combine the semolina and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Drizzle in the water and stir until the dough forms a ball on the spoon. (If it doesn’t form a ball, drizzle in a little more water and stir again.) Continue to stir until mostly smooth, 30 to 40 seconds. Knead the dough by hand a few times to make a smooth ball, then wrap in plastic and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with semolina. Sprinkle your work surface (ideally a large wooden board or countertop for added resistance) with a little semolina. Pull off a small chunk of dough (one-eighth to one-tenth of the total dough) and keep the rest covered. Use a rolling pin to flatten it into a piece about the size of your palm and about 1/8 inch thick, then cut into strips about 1/4 inch wide.
Roll 1 strip (keep the others covered with a kitchen towel) into a thin snake, then cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths (this doesn’t matter as much, since busiate can be short or long). Place 1 piece at a 45-degree angle facing away from you. Place a wooden skewer, dowel or ferretto at the top with the bottom of the skewer pointing towards you and stick the end of the dough to it to adhere. Roll the skewer away from you so the dough rolls onto it in a curl. (Use your fingers on your non-dominant hand to guide the dough.) Once the dough is rolled onto the skewer, roll it back and forth a little to thin and lengthen the busiata. Remove to one of the dusted baking sheets and repeat with all of the dough. (Since the dough contains no egg, the busiate can be made up to a day ahead and left at room temperature.)
For the meatballs: Combine the parsley, pancetta, garlic, carrot, onion and celery in a food processor and pulse to make a pestata or almost smooth paste. Transfer half to a large bowl; reserve the rest for the sauce.
Whisk together the cream and egg in a small bowl, then add to the large bowl with the pestata. Add the pork, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, olive oil, paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and mix well with your hands to combine. Form into small meatballs (about 1 inch wide); you should have between 40 and 45 meatballs.
For the sugo: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add as many of the meatballs as will fit in 1 layer (don’t crowd) and brown all over, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs, adding a little more oil if needed to keep them from sticking.
Once all of the meatballs are out, add the reserved pestata to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often, until it dries out, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until almost reduced away, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato passata and slosh out the jars with 2 cups water, adding that as well. Season with the oregano, basil sprig, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt. Adjust the heat so the sauce is simmering, cover and cook to blend the flavors, about 15 minutes.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, until the meatballs are cooked through and tender and the sauce has thickened, 20 to 30 minutes more. Taste the sauce and season with salt if needed.
For serving: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the busiate.
Transfer about 2 1/2 cups of the sauce (no meatballs) to a large skillet and bring to a gentle simmer.
Combine some parsley leaves, celery leaves and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper and toss. Set aside.
Shake the busiate in a colander to dust off the excess semolina. Add the busiate to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 4 to 6 minutes depending on how thin you’ve rolled them and how long they’ve been drying. Drain the busiate, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and add them to the simmering sauce. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding the reserved pasta water if it seems dry. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano and toss to combine. Use the coarse holes of a box grater to top with ricotta salata, if desired.
Serve the meatballs and sauce as a separate course or alongside. Top with the parsley and celery leaf salad. Serve with grilled bread.

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Fresh Busiate with Meatballs in Sugo

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