Now that's a spicy meatball!

Last summer I found a recipe from the Meatball Shop for the best tasting meatball I have ever had.  They were easy and packed with flavor.   I had made them for our dinner club pasta night and then for my niece's bridal shower.   I think I even impressed our Italian neighbors and friends given that my hubby and I have no Italian blood in our crazy family tree when I served these.

Well now I found another of the Meatball Shops specialties - Spicy Pork Meatballs.  I made a batch this past Sunday with homemade marinara sauce and served them over Pappardelle.  In the pictures attached, the pasta is under all these spicy meatballs.  Hubby and I were having a fasting blood draw this past Saturday morning for our insurance and I  saw this recipe in the latest People Magazine that I was browsing in the office waiting room.  Don't tell anyone, but I ripped the recipe out of the magazine and then went to our favorite little grocery store to grab the ingredients I needed.  I will definitely make these again!

Can't really read it, but here is the recipe we found!

Spicy Pork Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 4 slices white bread, minced in a food processor (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 3 eggs
• 4 pickled hot cherry peppers, minced
• 1/4 cup hot cherry pepper pickling liquid
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 450ºF. 

Put the ground pork, minced bread, eggs, cherry peppers, pepper liquid, and salt in a large bowl. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.

Drizzle the olive oil into a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish, coating the entire surface evenly. Roll the meat mixture into 24 golf ball–sized meatballs, packing the meat firmly. Arrange the meatballs into even and snug rows in the oiled baking dish. Roast until firm, about 14 minutes. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the dish.


Basic Marinana Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can of tomato puree

1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 small pinch of sugar

1 tsp. dried basil

dash of Penzey's pasta sprinkle or Italian seasoning 

 

 

Place olive oil and garlic in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Swirl pan to coat garlic and heat, but do not brown garlic.  Add red pepper flakes and salt.  Next add tomatoes, pepper, salt, basil, pasta sprinkle and sugar.  Stir to combine, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 20  to 25 minutes.