The Gouda Life

Every so often, a day comes along where the weather is so perfect. And if you’re schedule permits, you get to enjoy this day the way beautiful fall days should be enjoyed. 

That was yesterday. I had a quick latte to start the day off while I watched my stories (aka Regis & Kelly - can’t start a day at home without them. Won’t.) and then headed out on my bike to the grocery store. It was threatening rain when I left the house but as though the weather God’s knew I wasn’t prepared, the clouds parted and let the sun shine through for just a little while.  



You know those moments that are so perfect, so heart-stoppingly beautiful, that you wish you could freeze them in time, stick them in a box, and look at them whenever you were having a less-than-perfect day? Again, that was yesterday. Halfway to the store, as I was zipping down 2nd Ave, the air was cool and the sun was shining bright on my back, hefty gusts of wind took the leaves from their summer homes on the trees and exploded them into orange confetti, and the air smelled of thick smoke from someone burning a fire nearby. I slowed my biked to a snails pace so I could soak myself in every single second of it. From that moment on, my day was made. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. 

 

I had my heart set on spaghetti as I headed in the direction of the grocery store. There was no denying myself that. It just felt like a good day to be twisting and slurping noodles with a movie on and a glass of wine to accompany. And what’s more classic than a few big, tender meatballs in marinara piled high atop a bowl of tangled noodles? Answer: nothing. Don’t try and argue with me on this one. Not up for debate. I won’t have it!

The rest of the day, though the weather took a turn for the rainiest, I busied myself making meatballs and sauce. And I did so with the biggest of smiles and a warm heart. But that could have been from the wine. Come to think of it, it was probably the wine. 



Spaghetti and Meatballs
adapted from Ina Garten

It’s vital to the tenderness of a meatball that you be gentle when mixing and forming. Do these steps with tender love and care and I promise you will come out with a soft, flavourful meatball. 

Meatballs
1 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices of white bread, crusts removed an  processed)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp  black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten lightly
3/4 cup warm water 
Vegetable oil



Combine all ingredients except for oil and blend, very gently, with a fork until combined. 



In a large, heavy pan, add enough oil to reach a depth of about 1/4” and heat over medium-high until shiny. 

While oil is heating, very gently roll the meat mixture into balls just bigger than a golf ball. You want them to be big but not massive.  Put the meatballs into the oil, about 5-6 at a time, and let them brown on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer them to a dish until you’ve finished. Set aside. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pot. 





Basic Marinara 
adapted from Ina Garten

I used whole plum tomatoes for the sauce, which was fine, but having a picky eater in the house meant I needed to puree. So I left the original recipe’s suggestion of crushed tomatoes for those who like it smooooth. 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup good red wine
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Extras
1 1/2lbs spaghetti, cooked to al dente accordingly to package instructions
Parmesan cheese
Good quality olive oil



In the same pot as you browned the meatballs, drizzle with a little oil and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and turn the heat up to high. Cook, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until wine has almost reduced completely. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly and meatballs are cooked through. 

 

Serve over spaghetti with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of your best olive oil.  

 
(and to answer your question, YES, I DO love Parmesan. A LOT. And I won’t apologize for it.)

I can cross homemade meatballs off my ‘to-cook’ list. It’s one of those things I feel is so overdone on the home cook front. I don’t think I’ve ever had a really well made, tender, meatball either…so it’s always taken a backseat to other, seemingly more exciting, dishes.
I was watching Secrets of a Top Chef with Anne Burell and her beautiful, brown, parsley-woven meatballs inspired me to give it a go. And go, I did.

The marinara was brilliant. So simple but such a wonderfully concentrated tomato flavour. I’m sure half the pot found it’s way to my gut before it even came close to touching a plate. What can I say? A good cook tastes their food frequently? Or something like that?

Though the recipe[s] contained a good amount of steps - they were all ridiculously simple and straight forward. I did them in between cleaning, packing, and walking the dog. Absent-minded cooking is truly my forte.

This is so great for a Sunday dinner or if you don’t mind busting out a few dozen pots and pans on a weeknight - it’s really nice to have as a special weeknight meal. 

So… like… let’s make some meatballs and marinara?

 

Meatballs & Marinara
Recipe by: Anne Burrell of Secrets of a Top Chef

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
Olive oil
1 mega sized Spanish onion [or 2-3 medium ones], diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1lb lean ground veal
1/2lb lean ground beef
1/2lb lean ground pork
2 eggs
1C grated parmigiano
1C fresh breadcrumbs [I used whole wheat and love the texture they added]
1/4C [+/-] fresh parsley, finely chopped. [I probably used closer to 1/2C]
1/2C water

In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil until heated. Toss the onions in the pan and saute until translucent [I liked mine a little browned, so if you agree - keep them on a few minutes longer until slightly browned]. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. It should smell garlicky but there should be no colour. Remove onions/garlic from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add veal, pork, beef, onions/garlic, parm, bread crumbs and eggs to a big bowl and smoosh really well with your hands. If you’re afraid of handling raw meat then I suggest you get someone else to do it for you. I feel pretty confident in saying that you won’t get the same taste/texture of meatball if you wuss out and use a spoon/fork to mix it. But hey, if you want to eat icky meatballs I’ll leave that up to your discretion. Moving right along, once all ingredients are well mixed - add the water and give it another good smoosh.

Brown both sides of the meatballs [yah, I know. meatballs are spheres and they don’t have sides… but you know what I mean.]  over medium-high heat until they have a nice golden brown crust. Move browned meatballs to a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Marinara
[adapted every-so-slightly from Anne Burrell’s recipe.]
2 big gulgs of olive oil
1/2C diced pancetta
1 1/2C spanish onions, diced finely
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
3 large cans [28oz] of San Marzano tomatoes
Kosher Salt

Add olive oil and diced pancetta to a big sauce pot and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the pancetta has rendered off a good amount of it’s fat. Add onions and saute for 5-6 minutes. The onions should be fragrant but shouldn’t have any colour. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes until you can really smell the garicky goodness. Strain the tinned tomatoes through a fine mesh sieve into the pot with a fork, potato masher, or my favourite strainer tool - a whisk! Season WELL with kosher salt. For the love of all things holy - please taste it at this point. Make sure it has enough salt. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until reduced to your liking!

I add my meatballs to the marinara and heat it all through together and serve over spagetti….but you don’t have to do that. I guess. If you want to be difficult.

The leftovers can be frozen [yawn], or, MADE INTO MEATBALL SUBS!

Throw the marinara and meatballs on a hoagie bun, top with mozzarella [I like goat cheese mozza] and put under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and beautiful.

Love your favourite nonna,
Kelyxo.