Big Beef Meatballs With Bucatini By Rachael Ray - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
2 small yellow onions, 1 grated and 1 finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
1 egg
1/2 - 2/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, a couple of overflowing handfuls
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, 4 to 6 sprigs
1/2 - 2/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped, divided (couple of generous handfuls)
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 lb bucatini pasta (thick, hollow spaghetti)
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped
12 cremini mushrooms (baby portobello mushroom caps)
1/2 cup dry red wine, eyeball it
1 cup beef stock
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, San Marzano if available

Preparation

Instructions.
Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and
bring to a boil.
Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice,
capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of
extra-virgin olive oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from
each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but
not hard.
Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4
minutes then add the remaining garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the
mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with wine, cook off
1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with
salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.
Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to remaining sauce and turn to coat.
Serve large balls, 3 per person, along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass
extra cheese at the tables.