Fettuccine with Fresh Marinara & Meatballs
When garden ripe tomatoes are in season, let them punctuate this easy and delicious fresh tomato sauce with a few exclamation points!!!
Servings 4
Calories 392kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 egg
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp onion soup mix
- 3 tbsp chili sauce
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp anise seeds
Sauce & Pasta
- 10 oz (300 g) fettuccine
- 6 fresh ripe Roma tomatoes
- 14 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 cup passata (crushed tomato sauce)
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 6 tbsp Italian parsley fresh chopped
Instructions
Meatballs
- Have a plate ready for the meatballs (since you’ll be handling the meat mixture).
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg, add seasonings and chili sauce, mix well.
- Add the meat and bread crumbs and blend all ingredients with your hands.
- Put about 0.33 cup (75 g) of meat into your palm and roll it into a ball with both hands in opposing circular motion.
- Set aside on the plate, repeat until you’ve used all the meat mixture. You should get about 16 large meatballs that are about 1.5 inches in diameter
- Cook, preferably on a barbecue grill, on low for about 20 minutes, turning four times to evenly cook all sides. They may also be cooked on a broiler tray in the oven, or in a frying pan. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 160° F
Sauce & Pasta
- Add about 4 cups of water to a large saucepan (or enough to cover the pasta). Bring to a boil and cook fettuccine according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Carefully dice the tomatoes and chop the basil. Set aside in a bowl.
- Melt the butter in the saucepan on low heat, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned (about 2-3 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add the olive oil and passata, and seasonings and let simmer (2-3 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta, tomatoes, basil, and cheese.
- Transfer the pasta mixture and meatballs to serving plates and top with the parsley.