Last Night at Chez Bart: Meatballs with Pappardelle

*Note: my camera battery died while cooking, so I don't have any pictures =[

Following up my previous post, I decided last night that I was going to cook this dish from Tom Keller's ad Hoc at Home cookbook: Meatballs with Pappardelle. This dish just begged me to make it. Beef/pork/veal meatballs topped with oven roasted tomato sauce, and paired with fresh pappardelle tossed with butter, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Delish!

One point I would like to make with regards to this dish, is that it necessitates 2 sub-recipes: oven roasted tomato sauce and homemade bread crumbs. Though tonight I followed the letter of the recipe, and made the sauce and breadcrumbs from scratch, I don't think I would do it every time. I believe a canned tomato sauce (either pre-seasoned or crushed canned tomatoes with whatever herb blend you prefer) can easily fit the bill. Progresso breadcrumbs can also work as well for making the meatballs.

I guess what I am saying is that one can make this dish as fancy and complex as he or she wants. It's up to you!

Prep Notes: From an ingredients standpoint, there are a few things in which you will need to obtain specifically for this dish. The meatballs require ground beef, pork, and veal; so if your butcher does not normally stock ground pork or veal, you might need to call ahead. From a vegetable standpoint, fennel (anise) and leeks are required, as well as a ton of onion and garlic. Also, in order to make the sachet for the sauce, you will need cheese cloth and butcher's twine.

From an equipment standpoint, if you are going to make the sauce from scratch, you will need a food processor. To cook the meatballs, you will need a cooling rack and a sturdy baking sheet (that doesn't warp at higher temps).

Cooking Notes: Ahead of time, you can make the breadcrumbs. Just remove the crust off a loaf of bread, break it up into small pieces, and then place on a cookie sheet to bake. Remove from the oven once to toss and redistribute. Once the crumbs are nice and crispy, remove and store in an airtight container.

Also ahead of time, you can make the sauce. In a small dutch oven, place the fennel, leeks, and onion with some oil. Roast them in the oven until a nice caramelization occurs, stirring ever so often. Then, add in some red wine vinegar and brown sugar and place back into the oven until the liquid incorporates. Make sure you stir often. Finally, add in the tomatoes and the sachet, and place back into the oven for 90 minutes, stirring every 30. Remove, and let cool to room temperature, before storing.

And now for the meatballs. In a sauté pan, sauté onion and garlic until nice and soft. Then, in a large bowl, add the various ground meats, onion/garlic mixture, egg, breadcrumbs, and parsley. Mix to incorporate the various ingredients, and then seperate into a dozen or so meatballs.

Next, cut the mozarella into as many pieces as you have meatballs. Press into each meatball to create a little well, and place a piece of mozarella into that well. Work the meatballs in order to cover the cheese, and to make it nice and round. To cook, place a drying rack over a cookie sheet, and place the meatballs on the drying rack. This is to allow the fat to drip from the meat. Finally, place the meatballs into a 450 degree oven for 15 or so minutes.

Remove the meatballs, and allow them to rest for a 10 minutes or so. Cover with the sauce, and serve with a side of noodles. Bon appetit!

Tasting Notes: The great thing about this dish is that it takes some classical Italian-American staples: pasta and meatballs; and really ups the ante. The meatballs have various falvors, from the buttery notes of the ground chuck, to the savory notes of the pork and creamy notes of the veal. The onion and garlic offer savory notes, while the breadcrumbs provide a nice crunchy texture. And then you have the pièce de résistance: with every bite, one is greated with the warm, goey, creamy goodness of the mozarella. Things don't get much better than that!

The creamy-buttery goodness of the meatballs are perfectly counterbalanced with the bold roasted vegetable flavors from the tomato sauce. The fennel really gives it a savory kick, while the carmelized onions offer both sweet and tangy notes. Being prepared in the oven, it is nothing like I have ever had before, and is well worth the effort and time.

And finally, you have the noodles. They are prepared in a super-simple fashion: tossed with parsley, lemon, and butter. It is the simplicity that pairs it so well with the the complexity of the other components on the plate.

Libation Notes: This dish really deserves a full bodied wine; something that can really go tow to tow with the roasty notes of the sauce. Given this is Italian, I am immediately thinking of a nice Barolo, Barbaresco, or Brunello. Something bold, not too dry, and with a good amount of fruit.

Overall: Definitely hit a home run with this one. Lots of different flavors and textures here. And you can even dial down the "home made" elements in order to accomodate your schedule. Another winner to add to my repertoire.