Waking up to a sunny vibrant spring day is always a pleasant surprise. If you run towards the day without planning out a scrumptious nutritious meal, you’re belly will be grumpy later. So no matter how lively you view the world today, just remember to eat exceptionally well. Enjoy this beautiful light spicy broccoli rabe and meatballs. You deserve it.
Serves 2
Equipment
Chefs knife, cutting board, rolling pin, 2 mixing bowls, small sheet tray, medium sauté pan, small pot.,
Ingredients
Meatballs
Ground beef, 1/2 lb
Red onion, 1, small diced
Shallot, 2, small diced
Carrot, large, 1/2, small diced
Pistachios, 16
Lemon zest, 1 whole lemon
Herbs, your favorites (oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc.), 2 tbsp
Croutons
Whole wheat bread, 2 slices, medium diced
Olive oil, 2 tbsp
Herbs again! 2 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, 1/2 tbsp
Onion Powder, 1/2 tbsp
Pasta Dough
A.P. Flour, 1 cup, additional for sprinkling
Eggs, whole 2
Salt, 1/2 tsp
The others
Broccoli Rabe, 4 stalks
Crushed red pepper, 1 tsp
Butter, 2 tbsp
Parmesan Cheese, 2 tbsp
Pasta water, 2 tsp
Directions
First let’s work on the dough to let it properly rest to ensure a clean silky texture. But before we do that make sure to properly clean and sanitize your station, bowls and hands!
Place measured flour and salt in a bowl. Mix. Make a well! Crack in your eggs. With your pointer and middle finger begin to swirl in the eggs into the flour, lightly at first. With more motions around the well, it will soon form together creating lumps. From here, begin to gather all pieces into a ball and roll around to form a ball shape. Add additional flour if you notice its too wet. Eventually all the remaining flour/egg clumps will be in your dough, awesome!
Sprinkle flour onto cleaned surface. Place poor excuse of dough into the flour. From here you will begin knead your dough. First add touch of flour onto of dough and flatten down making “holes” in your pasta with your fingertips. Now using both hands, flip the half closest to you, away from you, Now turn your dough clockwise, confining to motions to enrich your gluten stricture in your dough!
After 10 minutes of vigorously kneading and shape =ing your dough into a ball, a test by poking and seeing your dough bounce back is agent representation of how strong your dough is. A really soft dough will create noodles that depending how soft, will shred into gluey clumps. A well made dough shall be smooth, a strong feel and quick bounce back is now ready for the refrigerator.
Clean up surface once more and let dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
Begin to work on your meatballs! First turn oven to 350°F. Dice your onions, carrots and shallots and begin to sweat in sauté pan. Once on the heat, season with salt and mix your ingredients for croutons and bake for 10 minutes. Chop pistachios and put to side. Once onions and carrots are cooked, add herbs and take off heat and cool. Cool croutons once almost fully crunchy,
Once all cool, add croutons, ground beef, pistachios, lemon zest, parmesan and onions and carrots. Season with touch more salt and pepper. Make your meatballs! Form your shape with a spoon and roll with your hands. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 350°F.
Remove dough from fridge and let rest for a clean up break! Gather rest of ingredients, a cutting board, knife and pan. Turn on pot with salted water to boil.
Roll out pasta with rolling pin into a thin circle with even pressure. Once thin fold and slice accordingly. Blanch the broccoli rabe and shock in seasoned ice water. once cook place to side. Drain water and add clean salted water for pasta. Bring to boil.
In pan add olive oil, some red pepper and broccoli rabe on medium-high heat. After a minute shake pan. Add meatballs. Cook pasta until tender. Add lemon zest to pan. Once pasta is done cooking, add into pan with touch of pasta water. Add in remaining red pepper, butter and cheese and lemon juice. Turn off heat and create a creamy bright sauce coating all over the meatballs, pasta and broccoli rabe.
Written by:
Nash Reba
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