Food & Wine Chickie Insider

Bucatini and Meatballs

Bucatini, a thick spaghetti with a hole in its center much like macaroni, is the perfect pasta to hold up to the rich veal meatballs in tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry bucatini (I used DaVinci brand)
• Oven-baked veal meatballs in tomato sauce
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat meatballs in tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add cooked pasta to tomato sauce and gently stir to coat pasta with sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve 2 meatballs and a portion of pasta for each guest. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp grated cheese over each portion.

4 servings.

Veal Meatball

Craving pasta and meatballs? Using ground veal  instead of the typical beef offers a version that’s moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of fresh  white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground veal
• 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce, about 6 cups (I enjoy this version from Ina Garten)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread in a food processor until medium-fine crumbs are created. Should be approximately 1 cup.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk until bread is completely soaked and milk has been nearly completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the veal, 2 tbsp parsley, cheese, egg and salt & pepper to bread mixture. Stir until just combined. Mixture will be somewhat loose. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Spray a  13 X 18 X 1 rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Form meat mixture into large meatballs, approximately 4 inches across. Place meatballs on the sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Heat tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add baked meatballs and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

Makes 8 large meatballs.

Notes: Don’t have a food processor? Don’t fret, simply cut the bread into very small pieces using a serrated knife. Tomato sauce can easily be store-bought. Meatballs in sauce freeze well for about 1 month. Want to make 2-inch meatballs? Simply bake for 10 minutes instead of 20 minutes!

This spreadable meat dish is similar to pâté but with more texture.  Cretons are a very typical eastern Canada dish served at breakfast time on toasted bread.  Cretons are sometimes also served on a cheese platter.

Cretons

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground veal
• 2 onions finely minced
• 2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 envelope flavorless gelatin

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients (except gelatin) in a heavy saucepan.  Mix well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for one hour, stirring often.  Turn off heat.
2. Mash down the mixture with a hand potato masher to a coarse consistency.
3. Incorporate the gelatin to the mixture.
4. Cool completely, then stir the mixture.  Put mixture in small containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Sauce:

• 3 Tbs. flour
• 2 Tbs. butter, softened
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. instant beef bouillon

Veal:

• 3 Tbs. flour
• 8 ounces veal scaloppini
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
• 6 mushrooms sliced
• 1/3 cup dry marsala wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:  Mix flour and butter to form a paste.  In a saucepan bring the water to a boil over high heat and stir in the broth.  Reduce heat to low and stir in the flour mixture, cooking until desired thickness.  Keep on low heat.

Veal:  Place flour in a shallow dish and dip both sides of the veal shaking off excess.  Heat oil and 1 Tbs. butter over medium-high heat.  Brown the veal for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Remove veal to a plate.  Add the remaining butter to the veal skillet and sauté mushrooms for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium.  Stir in Marsala and cook 30 seconds, scarping brown bits from the pan.  Add the sauce and season to taste.  Return veal to the skillet to rewarm.  Serve with pasta or rice.

2 Servings.

• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 pound ground pork (on the lean side)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon each, salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Water 1-2 cups
• 4 ounces butter or margarine

Combine the veal and pork in a large bowl.  Add the chopped onions.  Make a well in the meat, break in the egg and mix to blend.  Add the flour, salt and pepper.  Start combining the mixture then slowly add the water, making certain that it is well incorporated before adding more water.  Form the mixture into golf ball-sized oblong meatballs.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat.  Add butter or margarine.  Once the butter begins to brown, add enough meatballs to cover the bottom of the pan without crowding.  Rotate meatballs until all sides are browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes, adding butter as needed and working in batches if needed.

10 Servings (appetizer size)