Bucatini and Meatballs

Perfection on a plate.

The start of a New Year brings new resolutions, like writing more in your food blog. Writing and cooking bring me a sense of accomplishment and calm. It must be something about working with your hands. So in 2013 I am trying to cook a new recipe a week, which will hopefully be followed by a blog post. 

Spaghetti? Nah, try the thicker, chewier Bucatini!

I started off the year sick and eating large quantities of soup, so I was craving something a little heartier for my first home cooked meal. Spaghetti and meatballs sounded perfect. I had never made meatballs before, nor was it something that we ate much of growing up. My mom always served a meat sauce or a simple marinara with our pasta. However, living in San Fran, AJ and I stumbled upon a quaint Italian restaurant, Emmy's Spaghetti Shack. The restaurant has a fun vibe that is anything but your typical Italian place (think panties on the wall kind of atypical). Their spaghetti and meatballs made me realize what all the hype was about. It was with Emmy's in mind that we went about making our own meatballs. A simple google search for the best meatballs served as the starting point.

Not just 1 kind of meat, but 3 kinds of meat (beef, pork, veal)!

We headed to the store and got 1/2 pound each of ground beef, pork, and veal (AJ said this was the secret ingredient). Meatballs are fairly easy to make, kind of like a meat loaf, but mini! You toss together meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, egg, garlic, and pepper. A few things we did differently - we went with a 6-serving size, used more meat, reduced the cheese (pecorino) to half a cup, omitted salt (the cheese was super salty), added pepper, and subbed panko for regular breadcrumbs. I read somewhere that panko makes for better meatballs. And instead of frying, we baked these at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Is there sugar in that? Then yes! Sugar is the secret ingredient.

While the meatballs were cooking and the pasta water boiling, I started on a simple marinara. I heated 1/3 cup of olive oil on medium high, and sauteed 2 cloves of garlic, with a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Then I added 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cooked that for a minute. Then I added a 32 oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, a few spoonfuls of pasta water, and reduced the heat to medium. As I was tasting I felt the sauce needed a little balance to the salt and acidity. I added a tablespoon of sugar, which softened the flavors. Then I added ground pepper and chopped fresh oregano and parsley toward the end. 

We served our spaghetti over fresh bucatini instead of spaghetti. I really enjoyed the bucatini. It is thicker and chewier than spaghetti which really went well with the large meatballs. We used the leftover meatballs for subs the next day. Happy nomming and happy new year!

Pro Bono - Palo Alto, CA

Merlot and candlelight - what a lovely ambience.

I have had trouble with Italian restaurants recently. I love pasta, but lately the meals I eat at Italian restaurants have fallen flat. Paying $12.95 for a plate of spaghetti, that I could make at home for a fraction of the cost, seems absurd. However, when my coworker recently raved about Pro Bono in Palo Alto, I decided to give Italian another shot.

Two friends, AJ, and I arrived for a late dinner on a Saturday night. This small, cozy restaurant was packed at 8:00pm. The candlelight tables evoked a warm and homey feeling. We were seated fairly quickly even without a reservation. Unfortunately it took quite a while for the waiter to bring by a basket of bread. Incidentally, the waiter tried to makeup for this inconveniecnce by continuing to bring baskets of bread to our table throughout the night. While I appreciated the gesture, it was a bit of overkill.

Penne with mushrooms, arugula and tomatoes.

We ordered some merlot to start off the evening. Sometimes I love a nice mellow merlot. It goes great with pasta. AJ ordered a penne dish with mushrooms, arugula, and tomatoes. Simply prepared with a little garlic and olive oil, the dish was tasty, but nothing extraordinary.

Susan's Downfall - ravioli in a cheese and toasted almond sauce.

Being a fan of appetizers for dinner (it allows you to sample more of the menu), I order an arugula salad and Susan's downfall. Susan's Downfall is aptly named for its rich gorgonzola and toasted almond sauce. This divinely creamy sauce drowns the cheese and herb raviolis it is paired with. I love how the dish was run under the broiler before presented at the table, giving the sauce a delicious golden top.

Most of the fair is good, but not great. However, a trip to Pro Bono is worth it, if just to sample Susan's downfall.

"Ariel Got A Job" Celebratory Dinner!

Raspberry Chambord Prosecco Cocktail.

After a long search, I was offered a job in the healthcare policy research field! AJ is almost as excited as I am. He took me out to Tigelleria, an organic Italian restaurant, to celebrate.

I made him get a girly drink.

Tigelleria is located in downtown Campbell, serving up authentic Italian fare using organic ingredients. You know you're in Northern California when even the Italian restaurants are going organic. We started off the evening with some cocktails. You can't celebrate without a little bubbly. My favorite sparkling wine is prosecco, so I went with their Raspberry prosecco cocktail. A combination of prosecco, chambord, and organic raspberries - this light, sweet, slightly tart beverage was a perfect way to start the evening.

Tigelle - small italian flatbread.

And now to the namesake - tigelle! Tigelle are small Italian flatbread, found in the Modena area in Italy. The bread was quite a treat - slightly sweet and warm, these pieces were unlike any I had tried before. They come served with a trio of accompaniments: olive tapenade, carrot puree, and a sun-dried tomato spread. My personal favorite was the olive - briny, textured, and extremely fresh.

Tigelle with sun-dried tomato, carrot, and olive spreads.

The restaurant focuses on a wonderful variety of Italian meats and cheeses, which pair well with the tigelle. AJ and I didn't try any charcuterie, but I did end up with some pork in my pasta, so I guess I ended up forsaking my mostly vegetarian lifestyle anyways.

Cheese please!

AJ adores eggplant, so he ordered their eggplant parmigiana right off the bat. It took me a little longer to settle on a dish. While I am always tempted to get gnocchi, I decided to branch out and ordered the Boscaiola. Ribbons of egg noodles are tossed with organic imported porcini mushrooms, shallots, garlic, cream, and what I learned later was smoked speck. I thought it was proscuitto, and it turns out it is actually very similar. Both are made from the hind leg of the pig, but speck is deboned before it is cured. Traditionally speck is cured with juniper, among other spcies. It is cold-smoked for many months before it is consumed.

Boscaiola, with organic porcini mushrooms, shallots, garlic, cream, and speck.

To the untrained pallet, speck tastes like salty, sweet proscuitto. The cream sauce was light and flavorful, taking on the garlic and shallot nicely. The ribbons of homemade egg pasta were satiny, rolling over my tongue. You really can't beat homemade pasta. The portions at Tigelleria are moderate. I felt full, but not busting at the gut. Which is how I prefer to feel when I dine out, and with smaller portions, you can show less restraint. It also helps save room for another cocktail or dessert.

Baked Eggplant parmigiana with potato, green bean, and tomato salad.

AJ was very pleased with his eggplant parmigiana. The thin layers of eggplant are baked in a personal dutch oven. While some restaurants heavily bread their eggplant, these were lightly breaded, giving it just enough crunch and flavor. The sauce had all the right elements, acidity, sweetness, seasoning. And don't let me forget the parmigiano reggiano! The waiter comes tableside to shave cheese onto your dish, should you like. The salad with AJ's dish, certainly took backseat to the eggplant, but it was simple yet well-prepared. The potatoes were cooked well, the beans crips, and the tomatoes perfectly ripe. Tossed in a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar, you won't be leaving anything on your plate.

Italian films play in the background, while I sip my cocktail.

Not only is the food charming, but so is the decor. The cozy dining area is surrounded by soothing blue walls and rich wood shelves, filled with wine bottles. Classical artwork gives the restaurant a distinguished feel, while the Italian films playing over the bar prevent the place from feeling pompous. I will certainly be coming back again.

Ciao!

Tigelleria

76 East Campbell Ave

Campbell, CA