Rigatoni & Meatballs in Vodka Sauce
Rigatoni & Meatballs in Vodka Sauce
Of course spaghetti & meatballs is a classic, however I prefer to eat a noodle. I decided to use a combination of ground beef & pork. Note most restaurants use a blend of meat (beef, pork, veal). Pork has more fat than beef so will "guarantee" the meatballs won't dry out. I also make a "panade" which just means you're mixing a starch and liquid together. This prevents the proteins in the meat from shrinking and tightening while cooking. As the meat cooks, the starch acts as a lubricant between the protein fibers. Scramble the egg first, then add the panade, and all of the fresh and dried herbs. The meat should be added last. For the life of me I don't understand why people mix the egg at the end. The egg is not uniform and cohesive and you end up mix the meatballs longer. The order of the steps is key. I add dry and fresh spices into the meatballs. This adds extra flavor. You can sub breadcrumbs for panko. I never buy flavored or seasoned breadcrumbs because they have preservatives and additives (check your labels). I season the dry breadcrumbs myself. Let the meatballs firm up in the fridge so they don't fall apart when you cook them. While the stove top cooking is more hands-on and time-consuming, pan frying them first (rather than baking), creates a maillard effect (which adds to texture and flavor). I love a good vodka sauce. If you don't want that just skip it, but it does add great flavor. Add the fresh basil at the end of the cooking, if fresh basil cooks for too long it gets bitter. Top with fresh basil and shower with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and it'll be "just right."
Equipment
- large saute pan or braiser https://amzn.to/42UktLz **
- Large pot
- large bowl
- large plate
- can opener
- grater https://amzn.to/3SZVK4i **
- strainer https://amzn.to/3Ib9GDm **
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 16 oz organic grass fed ground beef 80/20 or 85/15
- 8 oz high quality ground pork
- 1/4 cup organic whole milk
- 3/4 cup organic panko breadcrubs
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large organic egg
- 2 tbs organic fresh parsley
- 2 tbs organic fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmiggiano reggiano plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt https://amzn.to/3Sa6PAV **
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper https://amzn.to/3RoH0wh **
Sauce
- 28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes https://amzn.to/49JxsSH **
- 2 tbs organic tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
- 1 white or yellow onion
- 1/4 cup high quaity vodka
- 1/4 cup organic heavy cream
- 1/2 cup orangic basil
- organic avocado oil
- kosher salt https://amzn.to/3Sa6PAV **
- fresh cracked black pepper https://amzn.to/3RoH0wh **
- 16 oz organic rigatoni
- 1/4 cup parmigiano regianno freshly grated
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large bowl whisk the egg. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Add the bread crumbs, milk, minced garlic, chopped parsley and basil, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, oregano, thyme, nutmeg and parmiggiano reggiano. Mix to combine.
- Next add the ground beef, pork, 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp of fresh cracked pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Don't overwork it though.
- Form the meatballs into ~ 2inch balls. You should have 12. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large sauce pot or braiser over medium-high heat. Add a tbs avocado oil. Once it's very hot, add 8 or so meatballs (don't crowd the pan, I had to do 2 batches). Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Gently flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside and continue with the remaining meatballs, adding additional oil if it's dry and letting that heat up.
Pasta & Sauce
- Meanwhile, dice the onion and mince the garlic. In the same pan used for the meatballs, add another tbs of avocado if dry. Lower the heat to low, add the onions, a large pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic, chili flakes, and tomato paste. Cook stirring to combine for a few minutes.
- Add the vodka, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until it has reduced. Add the canned tomatoes and fill the can with a little water to get the remaining tomato juice out of the can. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
- Add the heavy cream. Place the meatballs into the sauce, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 25-30 minutes. When the meatballs have about 5 minutes left, add 1/4 cup of fresh basil.
- Meanwhile in a large pot, heat the water to a rapid boil. Add 1/4 cup of kosher salt. Once the meatballs have about 10 minutes left, drop the pasta into the water and cook until al dente (~2 minutes under package instructions).
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Strain the pasta, place back in the pot with a tbs of butter, a few tbs of pasta water and 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano and mix to combine.
- To plate, place pasta in a bowl, add a few meatballs and spoon over some sauce. Add several pieces of torn basil and a showering of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.
Notes
** Amazon affiliate - I may received compensation.Â
Note, leftovers can be store in the fridge for ~ 5 days, however you should store the pasta and meatballs/sauce separately. To reheat, in a pan over low heat add the meatballs and sauce, cover and cook until heated through. For the pasta, you may need to add a little butter or olive oil to the pan to reheat. Â
You Might Also Like
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply