How to Cook Impromptu Linguine with Meatballs: Cupboard Cooking

Posted By Kimberly Turner on Jan 31, 2011 in Beef, Featured, Italian Food Recipes, Main Dishes, Pasta Recipes | 0 comments

This is one of the meals we created during our One Month Grocery Shopping Strike!

We had everything in the house already, except onions, which is fresh produce we are allowed to use in this challenge.

It was delicious, nutritious and helped us clean out our pantry cupboards! Try it – it’s easy to cook too.

Type: Pasta Recipe
Serve with: Garlic Bread, if desired and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Prep time: 5-10 min
Cook time: 15-20 min
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients for Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp parsley
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 clove minced garlic
3 tbsp onions – finely chopped

Ingredients for Pasta & Sauce:

1 box whole wheat pasta – or equivalent amount for 4 people; you may use spelt pasta or regular, white pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion – thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic – minced
12 green olives – sliced
3 artichoke hearts – sliced
1 cup edamame
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup red wine
1 heaping tbsp ajvar – roasted red pepper paste (pronounced “eye-var”)
1-2 tbsp fresh Italian spices or 2 tsp dry Italian spices – basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, sage and/or savory
freshly cracked black pepper – to taste
Parmesan cheese & chili flakes – as toppings

Instructions:

To make meatballs, evenly combine ground beef, crumbs, egg, parsley, freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, clove minced garlic, & onions. Roll 1-1.25? sized meatballs and set aside in a bowl or on a plate. (As per this challenge, I used frozen meatballs I had made in and stored in my freezer.)
Pre-heat a large frying pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Evenly place meatballs in pre-heated frying pan and brown on all sides – approximately 8 minutes. Set aside.
Put stock pot/large pot of water with the salt and bay leaf on stove on high heat to boil. When water boils, parboil the edamame (since most edamame you will get comes in a freezer bag) for 2 minutes, scoop them out with a slotted spoon or strainer and set aside with other pan sauce ingredients.
Add linguine to boiling water & stir frequently. Once pasta reaches the point of being al dente, meaning soft but with a bite, strain with a colander. Coat with 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
While waiting for water to boil, thinly slice onions, mince garlic, slice olives and artichoke hearts.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium-low heat.
Saute onions until they are softened and slightly transparent, add garlic and continue for another minute.
Add other olives, artichoke hearts, edamame and spices to the frying pan and saute another 2 minutes.
Add wine & tomato juice and reduce until it’s a sauce consistency that will coat pasta and keep it moist.
Toss warm, strained pasta after coating with olive oil with 1 heaping tbsp ajvar (roasted pepper paste), and pan sauce.
Serve with meatballs, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and/or chili flakes, and garlic bread or fresh, crusty Italian bread on the side.

Be sure to check out more recipes during our One Month Grocery Shopping Strike!

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I hope you enjoyed this Italian Food Recipe on Cooking with Kimberly! Until next time…

Eat Deliciously,

Kimberly Edwards 🙂

P.S. Be sure to check out the Kimberly Edwards’ Live Interview with Patrick Harb Feb. 4th!

[tags]linguine recipe, how to cook linguine, meatball recipe, how to make meatballs, linguine with meatballs, Italian food recipe, pasta recipe, how to cook out of the pantry, pantry eating[/tags]