Not your Average Meatball.

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs ~ the quintescential Italian dish.  Today we've kicked the standard up a notch.  Today, it's all about Big, beefy Meatballs with Bucatini Pasta and a chunky marinara down over the top.  And, that is truly what this dish is ~ over the top. Delicious.





What is Bucatini, you ask?  Well, bucatini is long like spaghetti, but is thicker and has a hollow center like penne.  And it is a very fun pasta to eat.  You could substitute any long pasta if you can't find bucatini.

This dish has 3 parts. 
 1. Meatballs
 2. Pasta
 3. Sauce

Let's begin with the meatballs~

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, sirloin, or chuck
1/2 a large yellow onion, grated (the juice makes meatballs moist)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (Panko style even better)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbl. capers, drained and chopped
1 tsp. ground sage
Handful of chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsely
Salt and Pepper
Healthy drizzle of extra virgin Olive oil


Mix these ingredients in a large bowl.  Your hands are the best tool for this one, but be sure to take off your rings first :)  Don't overmix.  Just until the mixture comes together.  No one likes a tough meatball :)
Then, score the meat into 4 sections, making 3 large meatballs from each section.  You should have 12.
(I had more in my picture, because I made a larger batch for company)


Arrange the meatballs on a large sheet pan that has been greased.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are firm, but not hard.

Meanwhile, begin the Sauce~

1 Tbl. olive oil

1/4 lb. bacon or pancetta, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 crimini mushrooms (baby portobellas) finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

1/2 a large yellow onion, finley chopped

1/2- 3/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock, more if needed
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Fresh basil, chopped (optional)

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, drizzle your olive oil and add your chopped bacon.  (Bacon will give a smokier flavor than the pancetta.)  Cook for about 5 minutes until bacon begins to caramelize and brown.  Then add chopped mushrooms and garlic, cooking another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the chopped onion and deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the tomatoes and parsely.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, tasting to adjust seasonings.

If you like a less chunky sauce, you can puree it some with a hand mixer or in a food processer.  But, leave it with a little texture.

Finally, the easy part, bring a large pot of COLD water to a rolling boil for your pasta.  Salt generously with salt.  Cook 1 lb. bucatini until al dente.  Drain and toss with half of your sauce.  Plate with meatballs, more sauce, and grated parmesan. 

There you have it.  A dish worthy of sharing with company, and a delight for the tastebuds.