Giant Meatball with Bucatini

A few weeks ago I had a discussion with some of my favorite foodies about my favorite comfort food craving, spaghetti and meatballs. Apparently, after all these years, they felt it their responsibility to inform me that spaghetti and meatballs is not an authentic Italian dish, that it was created by Italian-Americans living in New York City. Okay...I'm down with that.  I don't care where the idea came from, it was a good idea.  Do I care who invented wine, as long as I have an endless supply! Sometimes too much information is a bad thing. 

Still sulking from our conversation, that same evening I decided I needed a lift - so guess what was for dinner.  You got it!!  And as I started to make the meatballs they kept getting bigger and bigger, until "then there were three" (instead of the usual twelve).  So with the truth on the table, I am starting a new tradition. From now on, in my house, there will be no more spaghetti and meatballs - just pasta and a giant meatball...  Go big or stay home!

Giant Meatball Recipe (Makes 3 meatballs)
When it comes to this dish, I realize everyone already has their favorite recipes and ingredients.  Feel free to use your own marinara sauce (bottled or homemade) and meatball additives and techniques.
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or any combination you prefer)
3 scallions or 1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper, freshly cracked
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Marinara sauce of choice
1 pound pasta of choice

Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Basil or parsley, chopped for garnish

Preparation
Mix first twelve ingredients - beef through red pepper flakes.  Form into balls - 3 very large or 12 medium-sized.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
Prepare marinara sauce; make sure it is very hot. Lower meatballs into hot sauce,  one at a time.  Make sure not to stir or disturb meatballs, or they will fall apart.  Reduce heat and simmer until well-formed and cooked throughout.

Prepare pasta or noodles according to directions. Drain and coat with a teaspoon of olive oil or butter; keep warm,  To serve, plate pasta and top with meatball and sauce.  Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and basil.  

Spicy Chicken Mac and Cheese

I am still in a comfort food frame of mind. and what says that better than mac and cheese?  But this is not my mama’s mac and cheese - no elbow pasta here.  I prefer the more bolder  pastas like ziti and rigatoni, especially with the addition of the overly spicy chicken tenders to this version.  And the provolone cheese definitely holds its own against the heat.

Spicy Mac and Cheese Recipe

(Serves 3)

Ingredients

1/2 pound chicken tenders

Sriracha Chili Sauce

all-purpose flour

salt
cayenne pepper

canola oil, for frying

1/2 pound rigatoni pasta

3-1/2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, divided

2 cups milk

1/2 medium onion, stud with 1 clove

2 cloves garlic

1 small bay leaf
1 1/2 sprigs thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

pinch nutmeg

salt, to taste

white pepper, to taste

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1 cup provolone, grated

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup parmesan, divided

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Preparation

Marinate chicken tenders in Sriracha overnight or four hours.  Drain.  Combine flour, salt and cayenne and coat chicken.  Heat oil and fry 3-4 minutes per  side.  Set aside until cool enough to slice.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 5 minutes.  Drain and toss with 1 tablespoons of the butter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put milk into a saucepan and add the clove studded onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and mustard.  Warm over medium low heat until the milk starts to steam, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux.

In a large pot over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter and add the flour.  Cook, stirring, for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Do not let brown.  Strain the milk and whisk into the roux to avoid lumps.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir.  Add half of the gruyere cheese, provolone, cheddar and parmesan and stir until cheeses are melted.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Coat three au gratin baking dishes (or one 8x8 casserole) with the remaining butter.  Divide the pasta/sauce mixture into the baking dishes and cover with the sliced chicken and remaining gruyere, provolone and cheddar.  Combine the remaining parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle on top.  

Baked until golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. 

Shrimp & Scallops Diablo

Lately I can't seem to get my fill of seafood and pasta.  And the spicier I can make it, the better. That's why this diablo (meaning devil) of a dish is so appealing.  Seafood, tomatoes, chili peppers and garlic...what's not to like? Don't be afraid to try it.  The spiciness is easily overcome with a beer, margarita or glass of wine!

Shrimp and Scallops Diablo Recipe

(Makes 4 generous servings)

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 pound bay scallops

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped
28 ounces can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound penne pasta*
1/4 cup italian parsley
1/4 cup basil, chopped

Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Toss the shrimp and scallops in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, and the red pepper flakes.
Heat the oil over a medium-high flame in a large, heavy skillet. Add the shrimp and scallops and saute until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer,  using a slotted spoon, to a large plate and set aside.
Add the onion to the same skillet and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano; and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Add the shrimp and scallops, and the accumulated juices, to the sauce pan and stir to combine.
Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the parsley and basil.
Check seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if desired. 

Spoon the mixture into shallow serving bowls and serve.

*Can also be served over rice.

Beef Braciole with Pappardelle

Beef Braciole does not require any introduction.  If you’ve had it, you love it; and if you haven’t, you will!  In preparing, most would agree on the expected outcome of these thin slices of beef - stuffed, rolled, pan fried and finished in tomato sauce.  It is the preparation itself that triggers the confusion.  

Many use flank steak, but the purists among us choose prime, lean beef.  (My butchers sells wafer beef steaks - cut from the sirloin tip - that are perfect for this application.)  The purists prefer to layer the stuffing ingredients onto the beef slices; others mix the ingredients in the food pro’ and gently spread them.  Some add raisins, some omit the bread crumbs.  Traditionally it calls for parsley; I use basil.  Use tomato sauce out of the jar; or take the time to make your own.  It’s your choice - made enough times, you will discover your own preferences!  However you make it, it only goes from being good to being better!

Beef Braciole Recipe

Ingredients:

6 thin beef slices

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

6 slices prosciutto

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

olive oil, for frying

1/2 cup red wine

1 quart tomato sauce

pappardelle noodles, cooked

grated parmesan cheese

whole basil leaves

Preparation:

Prepare tomato sauce in a dutch oven or deep pot.

Place beef slices between two pieces of plastic wrap; and pound meat with a mallet to about 1/4-inch thick. (If you don’t have a mallet, use a flat-bottom cast iron skillet.)  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Cover each slice with a slice of prosciutto, and evenly divided portions of pine nuts, mozzarella, bread crumbs, and parsley.  Roll up beef slices and secure with butchers twine, every inch-and-a-half.  Put about two tablespoons olive oil into a large skillet; brown beef rolls on all sides, about eight minutes.  Add more olive oil if needed. 

Add beef rolls to tomato sauce.  Add red wine to the skillet and scrape down sides and bottom. Reduce by half and add to the pot with the Braciole.  Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. (You can also bake in a 350 degree oven.)  Uncover and cook and additional 1/2 hour.

Serve over pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh torn basil.  Remove strings before serving.

Crab-Stuffed Shrimp with Bucatini Alfredo

My favorite pasta was just plain spaghetti - that is until I was introduced to bucatini.  Like spaghetti, only with a hole running through the center of it.  A spaghetti straw, it doesn't get any better than this! Unable to find it in my neck of the woods, my husband and I drove all the way to Baltimore, only to find it at Three Brothers Italian Market near my in-laws. With the car loaded up with bags of bucatini, along with panettone, amaretti cookies, biscotti and ladyfingers, I did not complain about the ten and a half hour drive...both ways!

Crab-Stuffed Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo or colossol shrimp
1 teaspoon grains of paradise
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, optional
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs *
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1-1/2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
lemon juice
1 pound Bucatini, or pasta of choice, cooked
Alfredo Sauce (see below)


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. To butterfly them, make a slit along the back side, taking care not to slice all the way through the body. Sprinkle shrimp with the grains of paradise. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with nonstick spray and arrange the shrimp in a single layer.
Melt the butter over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, soft and just beginning to turn golden - do not brown. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Mix well.   If adding crabmeat, allow sauteed vegetables to cool before adding to the crabmeat.

Spoon even portions of the breadcrumb mixture over each of the butterflied shrimp. Using your fingers, gently mold each portion of stuffing around the shrimp. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve immediately with the pasta.

* If using dry, processed breadcrumbs, you will need to increase the amount of butter and wine


Alfredo Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
white pepper
kosher salt
parsley or basil, chopped


Preparation:
Heat cream over medium-low heat in a heavy saucepan.
Add butter and whisk to melt. Add cheese and stir. Cook approximately five minutes until slightly thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.
Add pasta and toss to coat the noodles in the Alfredo sauce.  Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley.  Serve immediately with the stuffed shrimp.