This isn't a traditional Italian dish, but when your favorite TV program is The Sopranos then you're always going to want to cook and eat Italian-American style, just like Tony did. I love food that can be shared by simply placing the cooking pot in the center of the dinner table – easy-going, generous, convivial food. The fresh green peppercorns are optional, but I urge you to buy a jar as they make the meatballs extra addictive.
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Chitarra with slow cooked tomato sauce and meatballs
Ingredients
400g/14oz chitarra (page 100) [in the book]
For the tomato sauce:
60ml/4 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400g/14oz cans of plum or chopped tomatoes
For the meatballs:
400g/14oz minced (ground) pork
400g/14oz minced (ground) beef
100g/3½oz stale bread, toasted (or use the pangrattato on page 248 [in the book], or Japanese panko breadcrumbs)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
roughly chopped bunch of parsley
30g/1oz fresh green peppercorns in brine (optional)
1 egg
50g/2oz Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
1 tsp table salt
Vegetarian option:
Use the meatless meatballs on page 247
Directions
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For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, then cook on a low heat for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
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Meanwhile, place the toasted stale bread in the bowl of a food processor and whizz to fine breadcrumbs (don't worry about a few crusty chunks). Add the garlic, shallots, parsley and peppercorns and blend again to create a paste. Transfer this mixture to a bowl along with both meats, the egg, Parmesan and salt. Mix to combine.
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Preheat the oven to 190°C fan/410°F/gas mark 6.
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Now form your meatballs. Aim for the size of a whole walnut, but weigh the first one – it should be 25g/1oz – to give you about 40 small meatballs. Place them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
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Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, then drop them into the tomato sauce and set over a very low heat. (If you decide that 40 meatballs is too many, cool then freeze a dozen of them on a flat tray before transferring to a suitable container for use another time.)
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil before adding a generous amount of table salt. Drop the pasta into the water and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the chitarra to the pan of sauce using tongs. Gently mix everything together, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen if needed. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Serve by placing the pot in the centre of the table along with a chunk of Parmesan, a fresh green salad and some cold beers.
Meatless meatballs
Every food culture seems to have a version of meatballs, whether it's Polish klopsiki, Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern kofta or Japanese tsukune. This meatless version is based on a Puglian recipe that I got from my friend Luciana; when I tried them at work they proved to be really popular – but then who wouldn't like this hot, oily, flavorful snack?
You can mix up the herbs if you like: try half parsley and half mint for a hint of freshness. And use day-old bread if you can – I like a plain tin loaf – but if the bread is older than that, and very stale, then substitute one egg with 50ml/2 tablespoons of milk and soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes before making.
Ingredients
250g/9oz soft white bread, crusts cut off
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, grated
bunch of parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
grated zest of 1 lemon
50g/2oz Parmesan, finely grated
vegetable oil, to deep fry
Directions
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Place the soft bread in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have rough breadcrumbs (keep the crusts to make breadcrumbs for pangrattato, page 248 [in the book]). Transfer the breadcrumbs to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or use your hands to bring everything together – the consistency will be something like stiff mashed potato. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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It's best to work with slightly damp hands to avoid the mixture sticking to them. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place them on a clean tray until you have around 24 lined up.
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Use a medium, deep-sided saucepan to fry in batches. Depending on the size of the pan, you will need around 5cm/2in of oil to make sure the balls are covered. Gently heat the oil until a cube of bread sizzles and bubbles when it's dropped in – or use a jam thermometer to check the temperature – it should be between 160/320°F and 170°C/340°F.
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Fry the balls, turning them with a slotted spoon until they are golden brown all over. Lift them out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and fry the next batch.
Excerpted with permission from Pasta Masterclass by Mateo Zielonka published by Quadrille Publishing, May 2023
