It may not be found very often in Italy but this classic Italian-American pasta dish is a true comfort food.
Ingredients
- 2 (28-ounce) cans italian plum tomatoes, with their liquid
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, peeled & minced
- 1 large egg
- all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- salt & pepper, as needed
Directions
Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill fitted with the fine disc. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a 4 to 5-quart pot over medium high heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, crushed red pepper and bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble the pork and beef into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, ⅓ cup grated cheese, the parsley, and garlic over the meat. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until blended. Pour over the meat mixture. Mix the ingredients with clean hands just until evenly blended. Don’t over-mix. Shape the meat mixture into 1-½ inch balls.
Dredge the meatballs in the flour until lightly but evenly coated. Heat ¼ cup olive oil and the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Slip as many meatballs into the skillet as will fit without crowding. Fry, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat as the meatballs cook to prevent them from over-browning. Remove the meatballs, and repeat if necessary with the remaining meatballs.
Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until no trace of pink remains at the center of the meatballs, about 30 minutes.
Stir the spaghetti into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Spoon in about 2 cups of the tomato sauce, tossing well until the pasta is coated with sauce. Remove from the heat and toss in remaining 2/3 cup grated cheese. Check the seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the pasta in warm bowls or piled high on a large warm platter. Spoon a little more of the sauce over the pasta, and pass the remaining sauce separately. Pass the meatballs family-style in a bowl, or top the bowls or platter of spaghetti with them. Garnish with extra Parmesan if you like.
Notes
serves 4
Greg the sweet and savory pairing of flavors in this soup sounds amazing. I love all cauliflower so this would be a sure hit in my book – especially with all the butter
What a beautiful specimen! I have never stumbled across a golden cauliflower, but will definitely keep my eyes peeled. This soup is a wonderful way to use it.
Oh yum:)
You have access to the best produce, Greg. I never see ANYTHING like that here.
already saved to http://cookmarked.com just waiting to find one these sneaky orange guys.
I’ve made a similar soup before with curried butternut squash and apples – can’t wait to try your version!
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2010/11/28/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-with-apple-and-curry/
That’s funny – I always call yellow cauliflower (and the pointy romanesco kind) science fiction cauli. I love this recipe!
This sounds so delicious! I have not seen any orange cauliflowers around here, so I guess the traditional one will have to do… Great idea for combining the ingredients
OMG….this soup sounds amazing! I love your photos-the picture of the orange cauliflower is so vibrant.
Every time I come to your blog I find something I want to make.. right then and there and this soup is no exception! I love pureed vegetable soups and I love cauliflower so this soup is a no brainer for me!!
Just made my version of Aloo Gobi last week and found out that my husband loves cauliflower (we’ve only been together 20 years!). Such a gorgeous color and the sprinkle of curried apples is a brilliant touch.
Greg, I’m loving the colors here. Golden glow, indeed.
Love the apple part (may want to put it in the ingredient list).
done
A beautiful golden color in this soup, loving the apples here!
We all wish we were this radiant.
I love the combination. I can almost taste it together too. Lately my taste buds have been calling out ‘Cauliflower, Oh where out thou’…so I bought some.