I have posted some “unusual” pasta recipes and now I’m posting a classic; home-made all the way! You can’t go wrong with marinara sauce, meatballs and freshly made pasta. Enjoy

Marinara Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Directions

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.) It can also be frozen and used “as is” or as a base for a meat sauce.

Meatballs

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb ground beef
1-1/2 lb ground pork or veal
2 eggs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley or fresh
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves Garlic minced

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Combine the ground beef, ground pork/veal, 2 eggs, bread crumbs, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Round into balls to desired size and place on a cookie sheet in oven. Baked for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Place on paper towels to drain any excess fat and place in marinara sauce and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Home-made Pasta

2-1/4 Cups Flour
3 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3-4 Tablespoons Water
Dash of Salt

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

Add to the middle well of flour the eggs, olive oil, and water. Add flour or extra water to dough as needed – consistency should not be sticky. With beater attachment, beat on low for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and mix for 6 minutes. Take dough and cover in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 10 minutes.

After dough has rested, put through your pasta press to desired thickness and cut into fettuccine or spaghetti.

If you are looking for a healthy alternative to beef … this is IT and it’s out of this world delicious! I found this recipe on Epicurious.com and substituted the veal and pork for 98% lean ground turkey and served on rice noodles. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Asian flavors … Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground veal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus 1/4 cup sprigs
5 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.

Pour milk over bread crumbs in a large bowl and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add ground meat, egg, grated ginger root, water chestnuts, salt, chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 3 tablespoons meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish. Make more meatballs with remaining mixture, arranging meatballs about 1/2 inch apart in baking dish. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together lime juice, water, sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs.

Serve meatballs with remaining sauce over rice noodles.

Slightly Adapted from: Epicurious.com