Instant Meatballs With Penne Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, mix the beef, 1/4 cup parmesan, the breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 cup basil, the minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with your hands until just combined. Form into 3/4-inch meatballs (about 20). Grate the tomatoes into a medium bowl; discard the skins.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the meatballs. Cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add the vodka, then the grated tomatoes and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add the pasta and the remaining 1/4 cup basil to the skillet; toss, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan; toss.

Steps:

• Mix beef, panko, 1/4 cup parsley, egg white, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Form mixture into 12 meatballs.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet; pan-fry meatballs in hot oil until browned on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove meatballs from heat.
• Heat olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir canned and fresh tomatoes into mushrooms and season with salt.
• Drop meatballs into tomato sauce and stir in sugar; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced and meatballs are no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.
• Stir penne pasta into meatball sauce; toss to coat. Stir pasta water into mixture if sauce becomes too dry. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parsley to serve.

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, squeeze the sausages from their skins, then roughly break the meat into 12 pieces. Roll into balls.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the sausage balls, then cook over a medium heat until golden, about 5 mins. Pile the spinach on top of the sausage balls and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 mins until completely wilted. Season with a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper, then toss in the toasted pine nuts.
• Add the drained pasta to the sausages and spinach, then toss well, adding half the parmesan. Serve spooned into individual serving bowls with the rest of the parmesan scattered on top.