Bucatini With Meatballs And Cashew Pesto Food

BIG BEEF MEATBALLS WITH BUCATINI

Steps:

• 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 PESTO AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the pesto: Process the tomatoes, basil, mint, almonds, garlic, orange zest and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, gradually add 1/3 cup olive oil in a steady stream and blend to make a coarse pesto, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl; do not wash out the processor.
• Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Meanwhile, heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then dredge in the flour. Fry the shrimp in 2 batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
• Remove the pasta with tongs (reserve the cooking water) and transfer to the bowl with the pesto; toss to coat. If the pasta seems dry, rinse the food processor with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water and add to the pasta, a little at a time. Season with salt. Add the cheese and toss. Drizzle the pasta with olive oil and divide among bowls; top with the shrimp.

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 WITH MEATBALLS AND CASHEW PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• For the meatballs and pasta: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly, then chop the spinach finely.
• Meanwhile, combine the chicken, veal, breadcrumbs, milk, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic powder, onion powder, ketchup, brown sugar, egg, salt and pepper and spinach in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients until just combined. Gently roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheet; if the mixture is too loose, mix in a little more breadcrumbs.
• Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 22 to 24 minutes. Switch the oven to broil; broil the meatballs on high until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Put the pasta back in the pot.
• For the cashew pesto: Combine the basil, garlic, cashews, Parmigiano-Reggiano, oil, 1/4 cup water and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Gently toss the hot pasta with the pesto in the pot, adding some pasta cooking water if necessary for a creamy sauce. Top with the meatballs. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!