This dish is super versatile. Mix up the meatballs for meatball subs, or spaghetti. Make them tiny for soup, or giant for whatever reasons. Paired with the rigatoni and a bright and spicy sauce, this is sure to be a family favorite.
Meatball Ingredients
- 2lb Pork Sausage, mild
- 1Lg Onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2C Whole Milk
- 1/2C Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
- 3-4 dashes Worchestershire Sauce
- 1T Onion Powder
- 1T Garlic Powder
- 2-3T Italian Seasoning
- 2t Black Pepper
Meatball Preparation
- Place a large stainless bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk, worchesterchire and bread crumbs.
- Combine seasonings.
- Place the pork in the bowl and using wet hands, mash the pork against the sides of the bowl, making a deep well.
- Fill this well with the onions, garlic, seasonings, and milk and crumb paste.
- Mix well with hands until a homogenous mixture is achieved.
Note: If pork becomes sticky, or a paste starts to form, place back in the freezer for 3-5 minutes.
- Onto a parchment paper lined tray, place golf ball sized pieces of pork. A #10 disher or a damp hand can be used to achieve a correct weight and size.
These can be frozen on the tray over night and then placed in a freezer appropriate container or zip-top up to 6 months and used as needed.
Spicy Red Sauce with Rigatoni Ingredients
- 1lb Rigatoni, no. 27
- 2 14oz cans, Diced Tomatoes
- 1C Merlot or other Red Wine
- 2T Tomato Paste
- 1 White Onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 8oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained (or fresh mushrooms)
- 1/2T Red Chili Flake or Calibrian Chili
- 1T Oregano
- 1/2T Thyme
- 2 dashes Worchestershire
Spicy Red Sauce with Rigatoni Preparation
- In a large brazier, over a medium heat, warm animal fat or neutral oil of choice.
- Place ~16 meatballs into the pan (If cooking from frozen, allow for a lower heat to prevent burning.)
- Brown the meatballs on all sides as desired.
- Once browned, move the meatballs to one side of the pan, and introduce the onions. Cook 3-5 minutes until transluscent.
- Add mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 2~ minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together wine and tomato paste.
- Make a well in the onions and mushrooms, and cook wine and tomato paste until the smell of alcohol is disapated and a rich fragrant paste has formed.
- Add tomatoes, seasonings, and 8oz of water to pan. Mix and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, 15-20 minutes.
- In a large sauce pan, bring several quarts of water to a boil and salt heavily. (1-2T of kosher salt for 3qt water.)
- Boil Rigatoni 12-14 minutes.
- Place a large collander over a heat resistant bowl.
- Strain Rigatoni into collander.
- Place two ladles of sauce (sans meatballs) into the bottom of the sauce pan. Mix in one ladle of pasta water.
- Place the rigatoni on top of this sauce.
- Spoon the sauce into the rigatoni, folding gently to incorporate, reserving the meatballs.
- Loosen the sauce with tablespoons of pasta water as desired.
Note: The sauce should stick to the grooves of the rigatoni and be well coated inside and out.
- Serve in a high sided bowl with 3-4 meatballs per person. Top with grated parmesan if desired.