Dinner with Kirsten

I’m always looking for a new way to jazz up a mostly-store-bought pasta meal. While shopping the Upper West Side gourmet markets this weekend (Fairway and Zabar’s), I picked up fresh spinach ravioli and a killer Lidia Bastianich brand marinara sauce. But is it really a meal without meat? On impulse, I bought some ground beef from a corner store and decided to make meatballs.

Luckily, my Soprano’s cookbook was shoved into Geoff’s bookcase, ready and waiting for its call to duty. I knew exactly what I wanted. I didn’t feel like baking or waiting. I wanted mini-meatballs. These happy little nuggets of meat brown quickly on the outside, then cook through as you simmer the sauce. They’re caramelized on the surface, packed with flavor on the inside, and the grated Parmesan makes them surprisingly light. I finished the meal off with a lettuce salad sprinkled with balsamic and olive oil and some crusty Italian bread.

The Soprano’s Mini-Meatballs
Adapted from The Soprano’s Family Cookbook

1/2 pound ground beef (or beef and pork)
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs (preferably fresh homemade, but I just used panko that I had sitting in my cupboard)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon very finely minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (for browning meat)

Throw all the ingredients except the oil into a large bowl and mix them up with your hands. Then wash your hands with cold water and form the meat into balls the size of a small grape.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meatballs and brown them on each side. (Some may break apart, but that’s okay. Just make sure you’re letting them brown long enough on one side before trying to turn them over.) Add the jar of sauce to the pan. (Be careful, it will splatter!) Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to cook the meatballs through, adding some water to the sauce if needed.

Meanwhile, I hope you’re cooking your pasta of choice! Add al dente pasta to the simmering sauce and let them finish cooking together for a few minutes. This way, the pasta will soak up some of the sauce.

When ready to serve, sprinkle any extra cheese and parsley over the top and give it a little drizzle of olive oil. Yumm!