SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALL SAUCE

2006-08-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

Our family recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs given to me by my Mother-in-law, who makes the best red sauce I've ever tasted, and I have been making it myself for over twenty years!

Serves 6:
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The trick to this recipe, as in most Italian cooking is to use the best ingredients you can find. Although my Mother-in-law cans her own tomatoes from her garden, I don't have that option, so I buy a good canned, chopped tomatoes imported from Italy. Pomi is one brand that is now available in grocery stores, and is a personal favorite of mine. The choice of meat is up to you, but I try to add a piece of both sparerib, and beef to the sauce, and prefer a combination of beef and veal, or beef and turkey for the meatballs. Here is the recipe;

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Small Onion, Chopped Fine
1 Stalk of Celery, Finely Chopped
2 or 3 Small Pieces of Meat (Pork, Beef, or Chicken)
Salt & Pepper
1/4 Cup Chopped Basil
1/2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
2 (6oz) Cans Tomato Paste
1 Large Can Pureed Tomatoes ( I use 1 (26oz) box Pomi Tomatoes)
About 5 Cups water
3 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Pound Of Spaghetti or Pasta of Choice

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the meat pieces in the oil until well browned. Add the garlic, onion, and celery and sauté until tender. Add the paste, tomatoes, water and herbs, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to your own personal taste. Turn mixture down to a simmer, then drop the prepared meatballs into the sauce. Do not stir for the first 15 minutes or so until the meatballs begin to firm up.
Continue to cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, and adding extra water as needed if the sauce becomes too thick. This sauce, with or without the meatballs can now be used over your pasta of choice. Just before serving, stir the 3 tablespoons of grated cheese into the sauce. Though most people would choose spaghetti, personally I prefer rigatoni or penne. Serve over pasta cooked al dente, and offer a little more parmesan cheese at the table. With the addition of a nice mixed salad and some crusty Italian bread, this pasta dish would easily make a complete meal. I would choose a robust Chianti wine to accompany this meal.

MEATBALLS:

1 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 lb. Ground Pork or Veal
Salt & Pepper
1 or 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
1 Cup Soft Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Water

DIRECTIONS:

Add the bread crums to the water to moisten. Mix all the ingredients together with the bread crumb mixture. Shape into golf ball sized balls, and gently drop into the simmering sauce.

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CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO

2006-08-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

Pollo alla Scarpariello ~ This is another Italian-American dish that translates as "shoemaker's" style chicken, and consists of golden brown, pieces of roasted chicken that are topped with a tasty lemon flavored sauce.

SERVES 4:

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Scarpariello means "shoemaker-style", and it is thought it's name might have originated as the chicken bones protrude from your mouth as you eat them much like a shoemaker might hold tacks in his mouth as he works. Another southern Italian origin to the name comes about from the fact that even the family of a poor shoemaker in southern Italy could afford to make this dish, while another version is that all of the ingredients in this dish can be easily "cobbled" together. Whatever the source of it's name might be, the dish is delicious.

Some versions of this dish add sausages and vinegar in place of the lemon I have used in my version, although all of the recipes I have come across use cut up chicken pieces. Cut the chicken breast into 2 or three pieces to ensure all of the chicken pieces cook evenly. You can remove the skin as well if you prefer. I like to serve simple side dishes to accompany this dish such as mashed potatoes or polenta, and a nice crisp green vegetable.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (2 1/2 to 3 Pound) Chicken Cut Into Pieces
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup White Wine
Juice From 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Unsalted, Softened Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
1/4 Cup Chopped, Fresh Parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the flour and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Rinse and dry the chicken pieces, and then dredge them lightly in the seaoned flour mixture. In a heavy, ovenproof skillet, large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, heat the olive oil, and then brown the chicken well on all sides over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the oil by using too hot of heat. Once all of the pieces are well browned, remove them to a plate. Pour out the left over oil in the pan, leaving just a tablespoon or two with the browned bits at the bottom. Add the onion and cook until soft, and then add the garic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the wine, and stir the browned bits at the bottom while you reduce the wine by half over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Break up the rosemary into pieces, and add it to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over top. Bake the chicken until done, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Add the remaining butter to the sauce in the skillet, and mix well. Remove the rosemary pieces from the sauce. If the sauce is thin, stir in a little of the flour and butter mixture, wisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chopped parsley, and pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter. Serve immediately.

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italian recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALL SAUCE

CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO