Pappardelle with Veal Meatballs

The anniversary of this little blog came and went yesterday. There's something addictive about the melancholy yet celebratory nature of anniversaries. Ryan and I celebrate as many as we can. Two-year engagement anniversary coming up on February 6th. First date anniversary. First kiss anniversary. Wedding anniversary...obviously. :)

Anyway, in honor of this blog's one-year anniversary I made pappardelle again. I wanted to recreate a recipe I fell in love with quite a few years ago at a local restaurant, Portofino. The Veal Marsala Meatballs with Tagliatelle is to die for.

Here is what I did to the best of my ability without a recipe:

Pappardelle with Veal Meatballs
Makes 3 large portions or 4 medium portions

12 oz ground veal
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
pinch of kosher salt
1-2 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp butter
10 oz pappardelle pasta
3 roasted red pepper slices from a jar, one minced and two sliced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup red wine
shaved parmesan

Combine the veal, rosemary, garlic, pepper, salt, and minced red pepper in a bowl. Form into balls about 1.5" in diameter. Heat a large skillet with a small drizzle of olive oil. (Be careful to not let it smoke, as this destructs the flavors of the oil. Use canola oil if need be, as it has a higher smoke point.) Cook the meatballs in batches, about 2 minutes per side. (I was already roasting broccoli at 425 degrees, so I put the meatballs into a dish and into the oven for about 5 minutes to complete the cooking process. You can do this, or cook through in the pan.) Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Using the same skillet, add a small pat of butter, about a tsp or two. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the sliced red peppers and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to get up all of the meat bits. Reduce for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package's directions.

Put pasta in skillet and toss to combine. Serve with the meatballs and shaved parmesan.

Enjoy!