This recipe was adapted from what I learned during a cooking class with Vita Pasta Lab. It took about 3 tries to perfect this gluten-free recipe, which is different from the conventional version.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- Olive oil for frying
For the sauce
- 2x 24 oz jars of tomato sauce (I use Mutti brand)
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1⁄₂ teaspoon Peperoncino Flakes
- 2-3 cups water (I pour the water in the tomato sauce jars and slosh them around to get the leftover tomato sauce)
- 1 pound of dried gluten-free spaghetti (I use Jovial or Barilla)
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Directions
- In a large bowl, add the meats, eggs, oregano, parsley, gluten-free breadcrumbs, and salt, mixing with your hands to combine well. Set aside until all rolled.
- Heat a large pan with olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the meatballs to the pan and brown on all sides.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Slip the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Begin making the sauce by heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the onion, and sauté until it turns transparent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the bay leaves, and peperoncino. Slosh out the tomato jars and about 2-3 cups of water, add to the pot, and stir. Add meatballs and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer sauce about an hour minutes, shaking the pan periodically to move (but not break) the meatballs, until the sauce is thick and flavorful.
- Put the spaghetti back into the empty pasta cooking pot. Add half of the sauce (with no meatballs) and toss. Set in a hot bowl, and top with meatballs and additional sauce if necessary. Serve immediately, offering the remaining sauce and meatballs at the table with the grated cheese.
