Meatballs Al Forno Tyler Florence Food

LASAGNA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with.
• Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion, garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Brown beef and sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten eggs. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.
• Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hang onto the pan - you'll need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into a baking dish and spoon about half of the tomato sauce over. Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately along with extra cheese.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season again.

TYLER FLORENCE'S ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.
• Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hang onto the pan - you'll need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into a baking dish and spoon about half of the tomato sauce over. Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately along with extra cheese.

MEATBALLS AL FORNO - TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tear the baguette in pieces and soak in a bowl with milk for 10 minutes until the bread is soft.
• In a second bowl, mix the beef and pork together. Twist up half the parsley and the basil into a little pile, roughly chop it and add to the meat. Add garlic and mix thoroughly with your hands.
• Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add it in small pieces. (Throw the milk away.).
• Add eggs, Parmesan, ground pine nuts, salt, and pepper and mix everything together thoroughly. Shape the meatballs into large patties then roll them in the bread crumbs.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Fry the meatballs to seal the crust, flip them over so both sides are done. Transfer to a large baking dish.
• Add a splash of oil to pan and fry the mushrooms on a low heat until they start to caramelize. Cut the tomatoes in half (quarters if large), and hand-crush them in a separate bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper and mix. Add to the mushrooms. Let everything simmer together and reduce slightly for about 10 minutes.
• Pour the tomatoes and mushrooms over the meatballs. Shred the remaining basil and parsley and the mozzarella over it. Drizzle with olive oil and add a few cranks of pepper. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat; cook the onions, garlic, and parsley until softened, about 10 minutes. Scrape out onto a plate and allow the mixture to cool; set the pan aside. Pour the milk over the bread into a medium bowl and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl and add the egg and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Don't overmix or the meatballs will be tough. Divide this mixture into 10 pieces and form them into patties. Place a mozzarella cube onto each patty and bring up the sides around the cheese to form a ball completely enclosing the cube.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on half the Sugo Sauce and mix well. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti and garnish with the basil leaves. Serve immediately along with the extra sauce and Parmesan.
• Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and half the basil and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the olives, capers, and remaining basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid; cook until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Yield: 2 cups

MEATBALL PASTA BAKE (PASTA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Mix the grated onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, mince, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture together with your hands until combined. Mould the mix into small balls (about walnut-sized) with damp hands. There will be about 20 meatballs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Fry in batches if you need to - they don't need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and fry the chopped onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the remaining garlic, fry for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 5 mins less than the pack instructions state, in boiling salted water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, adding a splash of water if too thick, and bring to a simmer. Drain the pasta and tip into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and meatballs and mix well. Stir in most of the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining over the top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the top is slightly crisp.

TYLER'S ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350°F.
• Dice onions & crush garlic by first peeling and flattening with knife and then roughly chopping. Keeping garlic on cutting board and drizzling some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt take knife and crush together to make a paste. (Oil keeps it together and the salt acts as an abrasive). Divide onions and crushed garlic between two pans with oil, one for the sauce and the other for the meatball base (and eventually to fry them in). Put both of them on moderate heat to sweat and slightly caramelize.
• To the meatball base add a roughly chopped handful of flat leaf parsley.
• Meanwhile (both onion mixes are still cooking) remove the crusts from the slices of bread and place in bowl with about 1 cup of milk. Put aside to allow the milk to soak into the bread.
• Put water in large pot for cooking pasta on (bring to simmer and then salt it.).
• Once you've put the water for the pasta on you should be able to turn the heat off the meatball base.
• Allowing time for the meatball base to cool, put the tomatoes through a food mill and add to the onions and garlic which have sweated down and started to caramelize. This will then cook down and thicken.
• To make the meatballs place all of the base in a bowl, (put pan back on heat with some olive oil for frying the meatballs) squeeze the soaked bread slightly and place in bowl with base along with egg, a good grating of parmesan cheese, stir and add ground meats and salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate together with hands. Shape into balls between golf ball and tennis ball in size.
• Fry meatballs in 2 batches of about 8 (depending on pan size) to seal and caramelize them on both sides. You can place them straight from forming them into the pan, once you have made about 8 then the first one will be ready to turn.
• Place them in an oven proof pan all together and place 1/2 the tomato sauce in with the meatballs and place torn bits of fresh mozzarella on top and place uncovered in oven for 15 minutes to finish of cooking.
• Add salt to simmering water, cook pasta for 12 minutes, al dente and drain, add to pan with remaining tomato sauce drizzle extra virgin olive oil and a good amount of grated parmesan and stir to mix.
• Plate up pasta with 2 meat balls and garnish with a couple of basil leaves and more grated parmesan.
• Cooking times and yield are estimates, once I make this dish I will change them if necessary.

BAKED SWEDISH MEATBALLS (TYLER FLORENCE)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the milk; stir with a fork and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet and let it melt over medium heat.
• Add the shallots, garlic, and caraway; season with salt and pepper.
• Saute until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
• Put the ground beef and pork in a large bowl.
• Add the sweated shallot mixture, egg, parsley, and dill; season with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the milk out of the bread (I omitted this step) and add the bread to the meat mixture, and mix well using your hands.
• Pinch off about 1/2 cup worth of the meat mixture and roll it around in your moistened hands to shape it into a cue ball-sized meatball.
• Continue forming the meatballs and putting them on a platter; there should be about 20 meatballs.
• (I formed my meatballs the night before and let rest in refrigerator to develop the flavor).
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat.
• When the foam starts to subside, add the meatballs in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.
• Saute the meatballs until well-browned on all sides, about 7 minutes total.
• Remove the meatballs to a platter lined with paper towels as they are done.
• (I baked mine on a foil-lined pan in my convection oven at 400 degrees until they were brown. They were so juicy that I'm always going to do it that way, and no mess!).
• Discard most of the fat from the skillet and return it to the heat.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl it around to coat the pan.
• Sprinkle in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve into the fat.
• Pour in the chicken broth, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Simmer and stir until the liquid is reduced and a sauce starts to form;.
• season with salt and pepper.
• Lower the heat and stir in the sour cream.
• Return the meatballs to the sauce and stir in 1/4 cup of the lingonberry jam until combined.
• Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Shower with chopped parsley and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve the Swedish meatballs with additional lingonberry jam on the side.

CHICKEN MEATBALL AND TORTELLINI SOUP - TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare meatballs by combining loose ground chicken meat (discard casings, if using sausages), bread crumbs, milk, egg, parsley, and the 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then mix until fully combined. Using a small ice cream scoop, make balls and set on a roasting tray. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized.
• While the meatballs are roasting, prepare the soup. Set a large stockpot over medium heat. Add a 2-count of oil (about 2 tablespoons), the garlic, and thyme. Gently saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and celery. Season with salt and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and add peppercorns, the 2 tablespoons parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Once meatballs are cooked, scrape them into the pot of chicken soup and add tortellini. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Remove peppercorns and bay leaf. Season with salt and peppers and serve in shallow bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Garnish each bowl with a parsley sprig and serve with some torn pieces of crusty bread.