Topic: Dinner time: Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs, pasta, tomato-pes
centered's photo
Wed 02/10/10 05:07 PM
Edited by centered on Wed 02/10/10 05:17 PM
... and including oven-roasted Broccolini.

1 1/4 pound of ground turkey (or some other meat of choice)
28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
8 oz Basil Pesto
8 oz container of Mozzarella balls (in water)
2 bunches of Broccolini
E.V olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika
6+ cloves of garlic (whatever your taste dictates)

Prep:
Preheat over to 400*

Get a baking sheet (or low pan) which will accommodate
6 golf-ball+ size meatballs and pool enough extra-virgin
olive oil (in the center) to coat those meatballs.

Remove 6 mozzarella balls and place on prep board. Get
the meat out and while still in its container, mark off
six-even-sized squares of meat. Pull out a section of
the meat, flatten it down, then grab a mozzarella ball
and place it in the center, then fold the meat around
the cheese to create a meatball. Move this to the sheet
and roll it in the olive oil to coat it. Now repeat this
procedure with the remaining meat.

Apply oregano, salt, pepper, paprika as desired on top
"sphere" of each meatball, then rotate so the up end is now
the bottom and apply seasoning to this "side" of meatball.

Get another flat pan large enough to hold the Broccolini,
spread out in the pan. Place the Broccolini out, prepare some
chopped garlic, then drizzle olive oil on the Broccolini,
and finish off by sprinkling the garlic over the Broccolini.

Put the meatballs in the oven on an upper rack. Set your
timer for about 13 minutes. (Be sure to check on them when
the timer goes off, they may bake up to 15 or so minutes).

Open the can of San Marzano tomatoes - you'll need about 2/3
of the can and spoon them (including its sauce) into a pan.
I use a whisk to "crush" and separate the tomatoes. (Dont use
a wooden stirring spoon cause the tomatoes tend to squirt up).
Turn up the heat to medium and continue to stir and crush up
the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.

After a couple of minutes, place the Broccolini in the oven
along with the meatballs. (You don't want the Broccolini to
bake as long as the meatballs).

Prepare whatever pasta (or other quick side dish) you like.
When the meat and Broccolini are ready, pull them out of the
oven and remove the tomatoes from the heat. Serve a couple
of meatballs and Broccolini to each plate and some pasta.

Now put about a 1/3 cup of pesto into the tomatoes and mix
it up, then serve over the meatballs and pasta. I've sliced
open one of the meatballs (out of three) so you can see the
Mozzarella ball in the center.



JustAGuy2112's photo
Wed 02/10/10 09:28 PM
Oh wow. THAT looks really good. I am gonna have to try this one.