Big Beef Balls With Bucatini Food

BIG BEEF MEATBALLS WITH BUCATINI BY RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Instructions.
• Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and
• bring to a boil.
• Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice,
• capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of
• extra-virgin olive oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from
• each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but
• not hard.
• Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
• Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4
• minutes then add the remaining garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the
• mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with wine, cook off
• 1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with
• salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to remaining sauce and turn to coat.
• Serve large balls, 3 per person, along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass
• extra cheese at the tables.

BUCATINI WITH BACON SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the bacon sauce: Cut the bacon into pieces. Using a big saute pan or skillet that has a cover, cook over medium heat until almost crispy. Don't drain the fat. Add the onions to the pan. When the onions are almost cooked and start to become translucent, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and then add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for about an hour to an hour and a half.
• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, garlic, eggs and some salt and pepper. Form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure to turn every few minutes to brown on all sides.
• Cook the bucatini according to the package directions.
• Serve the bacon sauce over the pasta with the meatballs on the side. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

BUCATINI ALL'AMATRICIANA WITH SPICY SMOKED MOZZARELLA MEATBALLS

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and reserve. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and the cooked pancetta. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the meatballs: Position an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the onion, 1/2 cup parsley, 2/3 cup Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and veal. Using your hands, combine all ingredients gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch-diameter) meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until cooked through.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the meatballs and sauce. Toss gently and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and Parmesan.

BEEF, BACON AND ONION SAUCE WITH BUCATINI

Steps:

• Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the guanciale, and cook to render the fat, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with black pepper, and then add the garlic, onions and bay leaf and cook until the onions are soft and sweet but not brown. Add the wine and reduce by half, then add the Beef and Tomato Base. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
• When ready to serve, reheat over medium heat and remove the bay leaf before serving.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the bucatini, and cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking liquids. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot with the butter and half of the reheated sauce. Toss with the cheese to combine, and serve in shallow bowls. Top with additional sauce and cheese.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, pat the meat dry with paper towels and add half of the beef to the pan. Crumble the beef with a potato masher or wooden utensil. Cook to develop a deep brown color, season with salt and pepper, and then remove to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining beef. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir until fragrant. Then add the stock and the browned beef. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

BIG BEEF BALLS WITH BUCATINI

Steps:

• Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions in 1 tablespoon of the EVOO (once around the pan) for 5 minutes. Remove the onions and set them aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, mix the meat with half the onions, 3 cloves of the chopped garlic, the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice, capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a healthy drizzle of EVOO. Score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes until firm but not hard.
• Drop the bucatini in the salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta.
• While the pasta and meatballs are cooking, heat another tablespoon of EVOO in the skillet in which the onions were cooked. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the remaining garlic and the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add the remaining onions back and deglaze the pan with the red wine, cook for 1 minute, add the beef stock, and whisk up any brown bits. Stir in the tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Toss the pasta with half the sauce. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the remaining sauce, turning to coat. Serve 3 meatballs per person alongside the pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass extra cheese at the table. Serve with a green salad.