My post yesterday was originally going to be 3 book reviews, 3 movie reviews, and 3 recipes, but it seemed like too much. But I do have three recipes to share, all of which I've made more than once already, which means they're all keepers.
This first one might seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't (hence the "Shortcut" part of the title). Yes, the meatballs are homemade, but they come together easily and you don't have to fry or even bake them—they go right into the casserole. Likewise, you don't even have to cook the pasta—it goes in dry, with plenty of water to cook it while everything else cooks. It calls for a 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking dish, which is something I don't own. (Do you? Is this something everyone else has?) I used my trusty Pyrex, which worked fine although it went into the oven quite full and bubbled over a wee bit the second time I made this, so I recommend putting it on a rimmed baking sheet. (And by the way, if you like this, you might also like our family's beloved Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes, which is in such regular rotation around here that I can practically make it with my eyes closed.)
Shortcut Baked Rigatoni with Meatballs
8 ounces ground pork
8 ounces ground beef
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
⅓ cup lightly packed torn basil, plus more for garnish (I found that "torn" basil" had too much of a presence in the meatballs, so the second time I made this I chopped it instead.)
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 pound rigatoni (I used penne the second time; they are skinnier and thus easier to poke down to make sure they stay submerged.)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, torn/cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups store-bought marinara sauce
2½ cups water
Preheat the oven to 400°.
In a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, breadcrumbs, basil, Parm, eggs, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper; mix well. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture between wet palms to form 30 meatballs.
In a 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking dish (see above; I used Pyrex), spread half of the uncooked pasta in a single layer. Arrange half of the meatballs and half of the mozzarella over the pasta. Spoon half of the marinara sauce on top, and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Repeat with the remaining pasta, meatballs, mozzarella, sauce, and another ½ teaspoon salt. Add the water to the dish, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Turn on the broiler, and broil 8 inches from the heat until the top is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes, then garnish with more basil and Parm and serve.
Ooooh.... I now have next year's Italian dinner for my lace workshop getaway! This sounds really good and easy
Posted by: Beth F | November 18, 2018 at 08:50 AM