Rigatoni and Meatballs
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 968
- Total Fat
- 39
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Carbohydrates
- 111
- Dietary Fiber
- 9
- Sugar
- 13
- Protein
- 41
- Cholesterol
- 111
- Sodium
- 755
- Total: 2 hr 15 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Inactive: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
Meatballs:
6 thick slices crusty bread
12 ounces ground beef
12 ounces ground pork
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Rigatoni and Sauce:
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup red wine, optional
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
12 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade, optional
2 pounds rigatoni, cooked al dente
Directions
- For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place the bread on a baking sheet. Bake until totally dry, about 30 minutes.
- Break the bread into chunks. Pulse in a food processor until the bread turns into crumbs. Throw in the meat into a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt and some pepper. Use clean hands to mix together until well combined.
- Use a scoop to retrieve a small amount of the meat mixture, and roll it in your hands to make meatballs (about 25). Place on a pan and put the pan in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, just to firm them up.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working with 8 to 10 meatballs at a time, cook them until brown but not cooked all the way through, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the pot to a plate while you make the sauce.
- For the sauce: Add the garlic and onions to the meatball pot. Stir and cook until the onion begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another minute. (Just omit this step if you're not using wine.) Add the crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir the sauce to combine all the ingredients. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce needs more liquid, just add in a little water. Then throw in the parsley, basil and the meat-a-balls! Stir gently, then cover and cook for 20 more minutes, stirring once or twice until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Heap the rigatoni on a large platter and pile the meatballs and sauce on the top. Sprinkle on some extra minced parsley and serve with extra grated Parmesan.