Carluccio's Recipe: Spaghettoni con Polpette di Carne e Melanzane
Carluccio's Recipe: Try this rich spaghetti and meatball dish for a taste of Italy this autumn
Carluccio's Recipe: Spaghettoni con Polpette di Carne e Melanzane
Antonio Carluccio, of eponymous restaurant fame, has released a new cookbook of Italian pasta dishes, soups, main courses, salads and desserts for the first time in twenty years.
Antonio Carluccio pasta recipes
Not surprisingly, the focus of Antonio Carluccio’s Pasta is Italy’s most iconic dish. The chef gives us a step-by-step guide on how to make fresh pasta, offering a masterful blend of traditional (spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino) and unusual (chocolate fettuccine) recipes.
This rich spaghetti with meat and aubergine balls is a wonderfully warming way to ease into those long autumn nights.
Spaghettoni con Polpette di Carne e Melanzane
INGREDIENTS
Serves six generously
600g good-quality dried spaghettoni
30g Parmesan, freshly grated
salt and pepper, to taste
For the sauce
50ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and very finely chopped
100ml dry white wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
680g tomato passata
10 fresh basil leaves
For the meatballs
2 whole aubergines
Olive oil for cooking and shallow-frying
300g lean minced beef
1 garlic clove, peeled and squashed to a paste
ó tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g Parmesan, freshly grated
1 medium egg, beaten
100g fresh breadcrumbs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the aubergines for the meatballs in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Cut the aubergines in half, and scoop the pulp out of the skins. Mash the pulp and keep to one side. Discard the skins.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and fry the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. When soft add the wine, the tomato paste, tomato passata and the basil. Stir well and leave to cook gently for 30–40 minutes.
Meanwhile, continue with the meatballs by mixing together the beef mince, the soft aubergine pulp, garlic paste, nutmeg, Parmesan, beaten egg, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and shape with your hands into the shape of rugby balls and the size of apricots. Shallow-fry in olive oil to brown on all sides. Add the balls to the tomato sauce and keep warm.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well.
Pour the pasta into a large deep serving dish, and mix well with half of the sauce. Divide between individual dishes, put the rest of the sauce on the top and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
An accompanying glass of Barbaresco or Chianti Classico – unless the players have to play soon afterwards – would suit this dish very well!
Recipe extracted from Antonio Carluccio's Pasta by Antonio Carluccio (Quadrille Publishing, Hardback £20)
Antonio Carluccio pasta recipes
Not surprisingly, the focus of Antonio Carluccio’s Pasta is Italy’s most iconic dish. The chef gives us a step-by-step guide on how to make fresh pasta, offering a masterful blend of traditional (spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino) and unusual (chocolate fettuccine) recipes.
This rich spaghetti with meat and aubergine balls is a wonderfully warming way to ease into those long autumn nights.
Spaghettoni con Polpette di Carne e Melanzane
INGREDIENTS
Serves six generously
600g good-quality dried spaghettoni
30g Parmesan, freshly grated
salt and pepper, to taste
For the sauce
50ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and very finely chopped
100ml dry white wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
680g tomato passata
10 fresh basil leaves
For the meatballs
2 whole aubergines
Olive oil for cooking and shallow-frying
300g lean minced beef
1 garlic clove, peeled and squashed to a paste
ó tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g Parmesan, freshly grated
1 medium egg, beaten
100g fresh breadcrumbs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the aubergines for the meatballs in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Cut the aubergines in half, and scoop the pulp out of the skins. Mash the pulp and keep to one side. Discard the skins.
For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and fry the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. When soft add the wine, the tomato paste, tomato passata and the basil. Stir well and leave to cook gently for 30–40 minutes.
Meanwhile, continue with the meatballs by mixing together the beef mince, the soft aubergine pulp, garlic paste, nutmeg, Parmesan, beaten egg, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and shape with your hands into the shape of rugby balls and the size of apricots. Shallow-fry in olive oil to brown on all sides. Add the balls to the tomato sauce and keep warm.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain well.
Pour the pasta into a large deep serving dish, and mix well with half of the sauce. Divide between individual dishes, put the rest of the sauce on the top and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
An accompanying glass of Barbaresco or Chianti Classico – unless the players have to play soon afterwards – would suit this dish very well!
Recipe extracted from Antonio Carluccio's Pasta by Antonio Carluccio (Quadrille Publishing, Hardback £20)
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