This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/21/2018 11:01 PMSome weeks are for cooking, and some weeks are for movies and eating out.
I have always been a movies maven, ever since I was a kid and saw Gone with the Wind with my Aunt Clara, who was visiting from California. Every January I call the Garde Arts Center box office in New London to find out about their Winter Cinema Series, which includes 15 or more critically acclaimed Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning movies.
On a recent afternoon, some friends and I went to see the Oscar-nominated Shorts, one of which will win on Sunday, March 4. Then we walked across the street to have dinner at Tony D’s before the evening movie started. The restaurant was busy, but we were early and got a table. I ordered spicy sausages and cavatappi. That pasta was the best I ever had. I hope some day to get the recipe. In the meantime, here is my favorite for you to make at home.
Sunday Gravy with Sausages and Meatballs
Adapted from Johanne Killeen and George Germon, On Top of Spaghetti, (Morrow, New York, 2007)
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 pork chops (total weight 1 to 1 ½ pounds)
1 ¼ pounds Italian sweet sausage, halved horizontally
1 cup chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 28-ounce can tomatoes (I use only Muir Glen)
6-ounce can tomato paste
Cheese rinds from Parmigiano-Reggiano or bits of Pecorino Romano (optional)
Mary’s meatballs (recipe below)
1 pound dried spaghetti or rigatoni, cooked
freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add pork chops and sausages and brown on all sides. Transfer chops to a plate. Toss onions into pot with garlic, fennel seeds, and salt. Sauté over moderate heat, stirring frequently and scraping up any bits, until onions are soft and golden.
Put chops back in the pot with any juices. Add tomatoes, 2 cups water, and tomato paste. Drop in rinds if you have any. Cover pot, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently drop meatballs a few at a time, shaking the pot to make room for the meatballs. Cover all the meatballs, cover pot, and simmer for an hour or more.
To finish sauce, take out the chops, remove the bones, and chop up the meat and add to sauce. Check for seasoning. Ladle sauce over hot pasta and dust with cheese.
Mary’s Meatballs
Yield: makes 26 to 28 meatballs
12 ounces ground beef
4 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into
tiny cubes (I used challah)
¾ cup milk
¾ to 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
8 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
fine sea salt and pepper to taste
In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, bread, and milk. Add cheese, basil, parsley, egg, and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly. Form into small meatballs, no larger than 1 ½ inches in diameter.