Linguine and meatballs with a tomato-cream gorgonzola and marjoram sauce

This came out as a result of an intense craving for a creamy-gorgonzola-y pasta dish a few weeks ago after a run.

I had all meatballs in the freezer I needed to use (click here for a recipe) and pretty much everything else was idly sitting in my pantry and fridge.

Here's what happened in Poupette's kitchen that day.



INGREDIENTS (2 people):
- 1/2 pack of dry linguine
- a large handful of small meatballs (click here for a recipe)
- a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes, reserve a few on the side for decoration
- 1 small basket of fresh cremini mushroom
- 1 medium onion
- 1 splash of olive oil
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream
- 1/4 cup of crumbled gorgonzola
Note: if you can, use gorgonzola dolce (a creamy, soft and almost sweet gorgonzola). I used the super acidic crumbly kind you can find easily in supermarkets here in the US, but it would have been orders of magnitude better with the dolce.
- 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh marjoram (oregano or thyme would work well as substitutes)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving



RECIPE:
- bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine al dente

- while the pasta is cooking, brown the meatballs in the olive oil over medium-high heat until golden but not yet cooked through, about 2-3 minutes

- in the same pan, saute the diced onion and sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat and deglaze the meatballs drippings with the moisture of the mushrooms, cover if necessary to create a steamy environment

- after 4-5 minutes, add the marjoram and fresh tomatoes and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes are soft (about 1-2 minutes). If it gets a little dry and starts to stick to the pan, add a ladleful of pasta cooking water and stir

- add in the cream and crumbled gorgonzola and cook over low heat until the meatballs are cooked through

- drain the pasta and serve hot sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper, a few fresh tomatoes and a healthy dose of parmesan shavings
- bon appetit!

Parsnip, barley and mini-meatballs stew

The weather is getting crisp and it is soon time for hearty stews and soups.

Last week, I was inspired by a bag of parsnips in my fridge and a can of crushed tomatoes, staring at me from the back of my pantry. I knew I had ground meat in the freezer, so I made mini-meatballs (click here for a recipe) and whipped up an easy stew. Or soup? Stoup?

Here's how you can make it.



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- a large handful of mini-meatballs (click here for a recipe)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 6 to 8 cups beef broth
- 1 cup of barley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika, to taste
- 2 shallots, sliced finely
- 2 to 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 lb bag of parsnips, peeled and diced finely



RECIPE:
- in a large, deep stockpot, melt the butter and saute the meatballs over medium-high heat until golden but not fully cooked and reserve on the side

- in the flavored butter, saute the shallots, celery and garlic over medium heat until soft

- add the crushed tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a simmer, the add the diced parsnips and cook until soft (20-25 minutes)

- about 15 minutes in, add the barley to the simmering liquid and cook for another 10 minutes, or following your barley's cooking instructions

- a few minutes before you are ready to eat, add the precooked meatballs and heat up until completely cooked through

- enjoy!

Perfect mini-meatballs

Those versatile, delicious little balls of meat perfection are my favorite!

They are so easy to make, freeze beautifully and never get dry. You can use them in hearty soups and stews or on top of pasta lathered in tomato sauce. The mix can also be used in a meatloaf format.

I tell you: versatile and perfect.

Here's how I make them.


INGREDIENTS (for ~100 mini-meatballs):
- 1 lb ground beef (I used 80-20 mix)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp granulated onions
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- some flour to dredge
- 1/2 cup chopped blanched kale (you can use 1/4 cup chopped parsley instead, I just happened to have this leftover frozen blanched kale and wanted to use it).



RECIPE:
- in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the flour and mix until well combined

- form into small balls (this batch yielded about 100 mini-meatballs for me)

- dredge in the flour and either use immediately or freeze.

Note: freeze the meatballs in a single layer, and transfer in a ziploc bag once they are frozen. This way they will not stick together.
- enjoy!

Fontina-stuffed meatballs in a rustic tomato and cremini stew

This is what happens on Sunday nights, when I have no clue what to do with my time!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb ground beef (85% will give you more moisture in the final result compared to leaner mixes)

- 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic, grated to a pulp

- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (from stale bread or crackers, no fresh bread)

- 1 egg

- salt, pepper, paprika, thyme (or whichever spices and herbs you feel like!)

- AP flour, to dredge the meatballs

- fontina cheese, in 1/4 inch cubes (one per meatball). 

Note: if you decide to make larger meatballs, adjust the size of the fontina cube

- a splash of olive oil

- 1 28oz can of peeled roma tomatoes with liquid, crushed

- a splash of red wine

- 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic, diced

- 4 or 5 fresh cremini mushrooms, finely sliced

- shredded fresh basil, to taste

- dried pasta of your choice (I used rustic fusilli napoletani)

RECIPE:

- combine all first 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until well blended

- scoop out some of the meat mixture (about the size of a walnut) and roll in your hands

Note: sorry for the lack of pictures, but this only became a "bloggable" recipe mid-way through the execution :D

- flatten it with your thumb, and place a cube of fontina cheese inside

- wrap the cube and roll in your hands again until round and smooth

- dredge in flour

- in a pan, heat the olive oil on high heat and saute the meatballs until golden on all sides

- drain the half-cooked browned meatballs on a paper towel and reserve on a plate

Note: by now, you should see Fontina goodness oozing out of the meatballs... Resist the temptation to eat them all at this stage!

- in the same pan, saute the onion and garlic in the leftover oil and brown bits of the meatballs until translucent (about two minutes, stirring often)

- add the mushrooms, and saute another minute or until golden brown

- deglaze the pan with the red wine and add the crushed tomatoes and liquid

- cook for 20 minutes, or until reduced by half

- meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and cook your pasta of choice

- about 5 minutes before your pasta is done, add the reserved meatballs back into the tomato and mushroom stew

- cook for 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are done all the way through

- add the cooked pasta to the pan and coat with the sauce using tongs

- serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan

- Enjoy!