Meatballs with Tomato Pan Sauce and Parsleyed Potatoes
A Classic Polpette With a Comforting Twist
Meatballs With Tomato Pan Sauce and Parsleyed Potatoes | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
When I started exploring gluten-free cooking and baking I did it for others—some people in my life have gluten sensitivities, and I wanted them to be able to share the treats I make. Then it became something I need to do for me, and to be honest I’ll still trying to warp my head around the reality of not eating wheat.
Unless your gut lands you in gluten-free territory, odds are you don’t know how daunting it can be. In the short term, it’s not that hard to do. But for the rest of my life? Oh, where are the pizzas, pastas, and baguettes of yesteryear?
I had already taken some baby steps into gluten-free cake baking, but have been avoiding gluten-free substitutes in bread and pasta dishes. This is relatively easy when you are cooking for yourself but can get tricky at restaurants, but I made it work. At a lovely Italian restaurant I forsook the pasta for an order of chicken scaloppina with potatoes; I chose a burrito bowl to stand in for a burrito at a Mexican place. I suspect I haven’t wanted to be disappointed by eating something that lacks the taste and texture of the wheat-based foods I’ve been accustomed to.
Which brought me to this recipe for Meatballs With Tomato Pan Sauce and Parsleyed Potatoes from Toni Lydecker’s “Piatto Unico,” published by Lake Isle Press. The promise of a meatball dish that didn’t rely on spaghetti at all sounded good to me, so I bought some gluten-free breadcrumbs and got cooking. The result is sort of a cross between meatloaf and meatballs, with the crunch and subtle flavor of pine nuts making an especially a nice addition. I found that two meatballs were enough for me, and with a quick zap in the microwave the leftovers were just as good as the first time.
As for this meal’s side dish, the simple combination of olive oil, parsley, and a little salt and pepper on red potatoes is a definite keeper. Broccoli was a great choice to round the meal out, but sauteed cabbage as well as zucchini were great when I tried them with leftover meatballs.
While rice and alternative grains like fonio and quinoa, as well as rice noodles or gluten-free soba definitely provide dining options,I’m now also ready to explore substitutes like brown rice pasta, millet bread, or cauliflower crust in traditional recipes that feature the pastas and breads I can no longer eat, like good old semolina spaghetti. But I also suspect I will continue to welcome recipes, like this one, that swing by pasta territory then take an unexpected turn.
Meatballs With Tomato Pan Sauce and Parsleyed Potatoes Recipe
(Polpette al Pomodoro con Patate al Prezzemolo)
Makes 3 or 4 servings (12 meatballs)
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes
Click here for printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound meatloaf mix (1 part each ground beef, veal, and pork) (see note)
½ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
⅓ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
6 small boiling potatoes, cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
1½ cups strained tomatoes (such as Pomì) or chopped canned plum tomatoes with some of the purée
PREPARATION
Place the meatloaf mix in a medium bowl, kneading with one hand to combine the meats. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, pine nuts, half of the parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; mix until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the egg and knead gently until the mixture is moistened.
Check the seasoning by breaking off a small glob of the meatball mix and frying in a little vegetable oil in a small pan until cooked through. Taste and add more salt and pepper to the entire mixture if needed.
With a spoon, scoop up a golf ball–size piece of the meatball mixture. Gently roll to make a ball (about 2 ounces); flatten slightly with your hand. Place on a piece of waxed paper and repeat with the rest of the meatball mixture.
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the remaining parsley; keep warm over the lowest setting.
In a large skillet, heat a generous quantity of vegetable oil (about 1⁄3 cup) over medium heat. Fry the meatballs, turning with tongs or a wooden spoon, until well browned on both sides but not cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Drain and discard all but a film of crusty oil on the bottom of the skillet. Add the wine, letting it bubble and reduce a little as you scrape up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomatoes and add a pinch of salt. Return the meatballs to the pan, spooning the sauce over them. Simmer slowly, covered, until the meatballs are cooked and the sauce is fairly dense, about 15 minutes; during the cooking, turn the meatballs once or twice to coat with the sauce.
Serve the meatballs and potatoes alone or with a steamed green vegetable such as broccoli.
NOTE
A couple of secrets to getting meatballs to turn out consistently tender and succulent. The first is not to overdo it with bread crumbs. The second, and more important, rule is to use the best ground meat you can get. Ask your butcher to grind a top-drawer meatloaf mixture. Alternatively, grind top-quality beef chuck at home in a food processor. For this, you’ll still need help from the butcher or meat manager. Here’s what to do: Buy 12 ounces of beef chuck in one piece plus a couple of ounces of solid beef or pork rib fat (most likely this will be free). Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces and the fat into ½-inch pieces. Place one third of each in a food processor, and pulse about 20 times until chopped medium fine. Remove the ground meat to a bowl and process the other two batches. Use in the recipe as instructed.
Recipe from “PIatto Unico” by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2011
Meatballs With Tomato Pan Sauce and Parsleyed Potatoes Recipe
(Polpette al Pomodoro con Patate al Prezzemolo)
From “Piatto Unico”
by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2011
“As you have no doubt heard and observed, a real Italian meal consists of several courses. Except when it doesn’t.”
—Toni Lydecker
A languorous multi-course Italian meal is a traditional and wonderful thing; in this authoritative collection, Toni Lydecker leads us to the simple beauty of the piatto unico or one-course Italian meal. Well-balanced and packed with bold flavors, the piatto unico pairs the rustic simplicity of great Italian cooking with a modern sensibility.
ALSO FROM “PIATTO UNICO”
Braised Chicken With Sweet Bell Peppers Recipe
Couscous Confetti Salad with Tuna Recipe
Herbed Roast Pork Tenderloin With Parsnip Puree Recipe
Minestrone With Chicken for a Crowd
Mountain Salad With Bacon, Fontina, and Sweet-Sour Onions Recipe
Orecchiette Al Fumo Recipe
Pot Roast with Porcini and Root Vegetables Recipe
Saffron Risotto Recipe
Spring Greens With Rice Soup Recipe