linguine con polpette e pomodoro
linguine with polpette and roast tomatoes
I really struggle with the ‘classic’ of Italian-American cooking, Spaghetti with Meatballs. Apart from an atrociously unappetising anglicized name, scores of home cooks still seem bent on recreating the spaghetti and meatballs scene from Lady And The Tramp.... I’ll certainly admit to remembering Disney’s hit from reruns in the 70s on UK TV, and also to being curious to try, as it wasn’t like any tomato and meat sauce I’d ever eaten at home or in Italy.
In Italy polpette don't go anywhere near pasta. But fast forward to the 1990s and I was watching Ray Liotta cook a live action version of the recipe in Goodfellas. That did it. I had to try ‘stirring the sauce' and making my own 'spaghetti meatballs.' But guess what? I’m not that much of a fan. Heavy and stodgy. Maybe on a winter’s night, once every 3 years. Otherwise try this lighter version. And make your balls small.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
prepare polpette ingredients
roast the tomatoes
mix the meat ingredients
test fry the mixture
adjust to taste
boil the pasta
combine pasta and sauce
add polpette
linguine with polpette and roast tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
FOR FOUR PEOPLE
500g 5% fat pork mince
2 eggs
2-3 slices white bread minus crusts
approx 150g grated parmesan
300g baby plum tomatoes
plain flour
fresh grated nutmeg
PASTA
500g dry or fresh linguine
/ pappardelle
MANTRECATURA (?)
none
METHOD
Grate the cheese and place in a mixing bowl with the torn bread, eggs, and pork mince. Mix and combine everything by hand and add token counts of salt, nutmeg and ground black pepper. When I make polpette I fry tiny test patties until I get the nut of seasoning, cheese and nutmeg right. I like a little cheesy tang with a subtle hint of nutmeg. When you're happy with the balance of flavours, let the meat mixture rest in a fridge for half an hour. ]
At the same time, begin roasting the tomatoes - about 20 minutes in a moderately hot oven, but keep an eye on them and don't cremate them. Remove them from the oven and set them aside. Start to ball the meat into tiny polpette, about 25mm in diameter. Roll each one in plain flour and place on a floured dinner plate while you make the rest of them.
Fry the polpette in a good non stick pan in a mixture of say 1 tblspn of EVO and half a tblspn of butter. Cook on a low to medium heat, tossing and allowing the polpette to take on a golden colour. They'll probably take about 15 mins to cook and half way through put the pasta water on to boil and go right ahead and cook the linguine. Warm a pasta wok with some of the pasta cooking water and then as the pasta just passes al dente (I prefer a medium to soft bite to pasta, not overly firm), tip the water out of the pasta wok.
Fish the pasta out of the water using a pasta spoon or tongs and place it immediately in the pasta wok on a low heat, with half a ladle of cooking water. Toss briefly and then add the tomatoes and cooked polpette. Mix carefully using a couple of wooden spoons and try not to turn the tomatoes to mush as you do so. Serve immediately with grated pecorino or parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
NUTRITION per serving
KCAL: we're working on it!
Fat (g): TBC
Sat Fat (g): TBC
Carb (g): TBC
Sug (g): TBC
Fibre(g): TBC
Prot (g): TBC
Salt (g): TBc
