Shelly's Recipe

COCKTAIL SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Category: Meatballs

For pasta sauce
2-inch piece carrot, finely chopped
2-inch piece celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped shallot (about 1/2 medium)
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 1/2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For meatballs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons port wine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound 90-percent-lean ground beef
1/2 cup canned or homemade beef broth

For serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups store-bought marinara, pureed
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cooked spaghetti

Make pasta sauce by placing carrot, celery, shallot, bay leaf, garlic and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Cover with cream. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by one third, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve (discard solids) into medium bowl, then pour back into saucepan. Set over low heat.

Melt butter in another small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is straw colored, about 30 seconds. Whisk in reduced pasta sauce in a slow, steady stream. Once a few bubbles burst at the surface, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Make meatballs by heating olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off heat and scrape mixture into a large bowl to cool.

Once shallot mixture is cool, whisk in egg, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, tomato paste, port, salt and pepper to taste. Add ground beef and mix gently with hands until well combined. Shape mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place in a baking dish.

Pour beef broth into baking dish, cover with foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven, discard foil and let meatballs cool to room temperature. Slice a small bit off the top and bottom of each meatball to create a flat surface, then place meatballs on a serving platter.

Reheat pasta sauce over medium-low heat until warm. Stick a fork into a pile of pasta and twirl to make a 3- or 4-strand nest. Dip the nest into warm pasta sauce and then carefully slide it off fork and onto meatball. Repeat with remaining meatballs. Finish each meatball with a dollop of pureed marinara sauce, some parmesan and chopped parsley. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Makes 2 dozen.