Spaghetti and meatballs in 30 minutes
AS THE name suggests, this is no substitute for the kind of meatballs simmered for hours in your gran’s Sunday gravy. Strangely enough, the recipe doesn’t even include oregano or basil or a dry Chianti. And yet, I think this is a meal you’ll be happy to produce on a week-night or any time you are craving tomatoey comfort food.
The meatball mixture is basic but does the trick: ground turkey, parsley, garlic and panko, plus salt and pepper. The meatballs brown in a skillet and finish cooking in the sauce, which is even simpler – canned tomatoes, puréed in a blender.
When you drain the pasta, save a little of its cooking water; it contains some starch that will help bind the sauce and spaghetti together. (If you want to geek on this, check out the experimentation at SeriousEats.com)
Add the cooked pasta and a splash of water to that pot of sauce and meatballs, then let it cook for just a minute or so. It makes a difference.
Ingredients Salt 6 stems fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic One 56g piece ParmigianoReggiano cheese, for serving 226g dried spaghetti 1 large egg 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup panko (bread crumbs)
453g ground turkey, preferably dark meat
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oilOne 793g can whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices
Method Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch or two of salt.
Meanwhile, mince the parsley leaves and the garlic. Use a Microplane grater or box grater to grate the cheese. Add the pasta to the boiling water; reduce the heat to medium-high and cook according to the package directions, until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, combine the parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper, panko and turkey in a mixing bowl. Use your clean hands to gently mix, until thoroughly incorporated.
Form the meatballs; I like to do this in two steps, which won’t add extra time to the clock and eliminates the guesswork involved in making them all the right size. First, divide the meatball mixture into 16 equal portions, placing them on a piece of parchment paper or on a cutting board. Then, wet your hands and roll them into balls.
Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed to brown evenly. (They won’t be cooked through.)
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a blender. Cover and purée until smooth, then transfer the sauce and the meatballs to the same pot you used for the spaghetti (which should at this point be cooked and drained, in the colander). Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, which will finish cooking the meatballs.
Add the pasta to the pot, tossing gently to incorporate; add the pasta cooking water and let the whole thing cook for another minute or two; this will help thicken the sauce. Divide among bowls; drizzle with a little more oil, if desired, and scatter the cheese on each portion. Serve warm. – The Washington Post