Spaghetti and Meatballs
Lately I’ve been worried that I’ve lost my mojo. Since I’ve been back from Texas – just two weeks now – I’ve had a streak of colossal kitchen failures. First, I burned a cheesecake. After that, a lemon cake. In between those two, I undercooked a recipe of peanut butter bar cookies. This has never happened before, I said to myself, as I threw them, one by one, into la poubelle.
I blamed my oven. I blamed my thermostat. That persnickety little French stove was conspiring against me, I said to X one night. It couldn’t be me.
Turns out, it was me.
The thing I love most about being in the kitchen, and cooking anything, really, is how it calms me. I find everything about the process – washing veggies, chopping them up, measuring flour for cakes, or doing the dishes afterwards – grounding, and meditative, even. Like the time that I spend on my yoga mat, it centers me.
In order for this to happen, though, I’ve gotta pay attention to what I’m doing. If I’m cracking eggs into a bowl, but thinking about something else entirely, trouble ensues. Cakes burn. Or don’t get cooked all the way.
What does all of this have to do with Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs?
Couple of things. Stay with me.
This recipe is an adaptation of one that my mom used to make, from the red-and-white checkedy Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Like her Valentine’s Day French toast hearts, this is one of those dishes that’s all about love – meatball-making takes time and patience – two things that I seemed to be lacking.
So the other day, on one of our first sunny, warm spring days, I spent the better part of the morning doing the grocery shopping. I walked to the cheese shop a couple of blocks down the street for the Pecorino Romano, then to the President Wilson Market for the flat-leaf parsley, and over to the Casino for the turkey. Back at the apartment, I ground the turkey, grated the cheese, and chopped up what needed chopping. I squished it all together by hand and then rolled out my little meatballs, neatly, one-by-one, on two cookie sheets, and cooked them up in two batches.
Afterwards, I made the sauce, and added the meatballs later, right before dinner. It was perfect. All of it.
I don’t know if my mojo’s coming around or not, but I’m going to try and be patient with it until it does.
PS Since most of y’all can buy ground turkey, you save a big time-consuming step right there, but I’m not going to kid you, meatball-making shouldn’t be rushed. It’ll take you about an hour to assemble and cook these – but worth it, I’m telling you.
Note: After I wrote this post, I spent the entire day in the kitchen, testing and creating new recipes – my muse was back! – and baking, too. Right now, in my fridge, is the most incredible cheesecake I’ve ever seen. I’m waiting (See? I’m learning.) until after dinner to give it a try. Stay tuned.
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
I’ve updated the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook version – by using turkey instead of beef, fresh parsley, Pecorino Romano, and either an old baguette or Poilane bread – which makes this old-school classic quite elegant.
Makes 30-40 small meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
4 slices stale bread
3 eggs
2-3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
olive oil
Spaghetti sauce, recipe follows
1. Soak bread in a bowl filled with water for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out the water and add the bread to the ground turkey, along with the rest of the ingredients, mixing well with your hands. Using a small scoop, make as many meatballs as you can and set them aside, on a cookie sheet or wax paper until you’re ready to cook them up.
2. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the largest skillet that you can find, add the meatballs, and turn the heat on low. Let the meatballs brown, and turn them once, and maybe one more time on the sides, to cook them through. This should take 10-15 minutes. You may need to work on batches. Set the meatballs aside, on paper towels, to cool.
Spaghetti Sauce for Meatballs
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. I used a bit more garlic and less tomato paste.
1 small white onion, 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
2 bay leaves
spaghetti
1. Drizzle olive oil in a medium, heavy saucepan, add onions and garlic, and turn heat on medium. Cook until onions start to become translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir a bit, and let cook for an hour, uncovered. 3. Remove bay leaves, add meatballs, and turn heat down to low. Cook until meatballs are warmed through, about 20 minutes.
Serve over spaghetti and with fresh grated Parmesan.
