Modified from
365: No Repeats by Rachael Ray or you can find it
here [if you have the cookbook this is a variation of Veal Polpette or Sausage Meatballs]
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin [I used 92% lean hamburger - since I can't "drain," I did buy the lean stuff...now I actually only bought a pound so reduced everything slightly and ended up with 9 balls which was still a LOT]
2 small to medium yellow onion, 1 grated and 1 finely chopped [Grating the onion was a PAIN IN THE BUTT...I don't think I'll try again, just really finely mince]
6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
1 egg
1/2 to 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs [I used 1/2 for my 9]
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg [I used nutmeg as that's what I found first...she also put in capers, which I don't like, so I skipped them.]
2 tsp dried sage [she used 2 tbsp of fresh]
1 tbsp parsley [she used fresh, I used dried]
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling [I didn't use this much]
1 pound bucatini [this is "hollow" spaghetti, which I couldn't find, so I used regular spahgetti]
1/4 lb bacon, chopped [she used pancetta]
12 baby portobello caps, (crimini mushrooms), chopped [I actually bought these and used my "leftovers" in cavatelli later in the week...I really liked these.]
1/2 cup dry red wine, eyeball it
1 cup, (8 ounces), beef stock [I used 1 cup water and a boullion cube]
1 (28-ounce), can crushed tomatoes
Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Mix meat with the onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, nutmeg, sage, 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. [this took me slightly longer and as I said I used 1 lb of meat and got 9, which wsa plenty.]
Drop pasta in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the bacon. 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.
Serves 6. [She said 4, this is way too much for 4, as usual.]
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