White Meatballs and Pasta
We are getting closer to the end of our pastarific journey through the alphabet, but up next we have a bit of a wild and whacky letter that will not stump me, W.
With a wide world of food wonders, it’s hard to whittle down which pasta dish I would like to whip up, but that’s when I found a recipe from Pasta Queen on TikTok for a white meatballs and pasta, the dish essentially being pasta and meatballs cooked in a cream sauce finished with cheese, almost a cross between spaghetti and meatballs and alfredo. It’s going to be a bit rich, but also full of flavor.
It seemed wonderful, so let’s work it out!
Serves 4
For the Meatballs
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
up to 1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, for frying
For the Sauce and Pasta:
1 pound of spaghetti, fresh or dried, up to you
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
Salt, to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
To make the meatballs, start by melting the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly caramelized. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, Parmigiano, and parsley. Add enough milk to the breadcrumbs to get a thick consistency, like the texture of wet sand, then add that to the meat along with the egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then combine with your hands.
With wet hands, divide and roll the mixture into fairly small balls. They can be as big or as small as you desire, I like making them roughly the size of a golf ball.
Wipe out the pan used to cook the onion, then add enough oil to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Add the meatballs to the cold pan, then heat over medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until the meatballs are lightly browned and mostly cooked through.
Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in the water for about 7-9 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Add the cream to the meatballs, bring that to a simmer, then add the fontina cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and combined. Let everything simmer together for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the meatballs. Season the sauce with salt to taste, then add the pasta and enough pasta water to get the consistency you like. Toss to combine then serve.
