Mains · By James
Murrieta's Lamb Meatballs in Arrabiatta Sauce
This dish was a favorite of Sharon's at Murrieta's restaurant whenever we happened to be in Calgary for a teachers' conference, and then we took Joc there, and it immediately became her favorite. That was when it was decided that we needed to make it at home. Cam and I have made these meatballs at home a couple of times, with adjustments to seasonings each time. The current version is really good! Joc and I have also made them, and her preference is for pan browning of the meatballs — take your pick.
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs — Mediterranean Style
- 1 pound (454 g) ground lamb
- 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice, ground
- ½ tsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp coriander, ground
- 3 tbsp fresh finely-chopped mint (can use 2 tsp dried mint) — plus 2 more tablespoons chopped mint for garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh finely-chopped oregano (can use 2 tsp dried)
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup red onion, very finely diced
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (soaked in a bit of milk or cream)
- 1 large egg, beaten
Arrabiatta Sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- ½ red onion, very finely diced
- ½ tsp anchovy paste
- 3 tbsp finely chopped peperoncini chilies in oil, with the oil (Superstore has a great "Black-Label" jar). Note: peperoncini (one "p") is a generic Italian term for hot red chilies — don't confuse with the much milder pickled pepperoncini (two "p's"), known in Italy as "friggitello" chilies, which are green.
- 1 jar Arrabiatta sauce (many good choices out there made with fresh hot red chilies)
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes, finely diced (Costco sells a good one)
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1
Make Arrabiatta sauce (start by sautéing the olive oil, garlic, onion, and chilies with oil; then add the prepared Arrabiatta sauce and the San Marzano tomatoes, salting to taste), and leave to simmer while preparing meatballs.
- 2
Also, get your pasta water heating.
- 3
Preheat oven to 400°F (conventional oven — subtract 25 degrees for convection).
- 4
The meatballs will be baked, so prepare for this by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and then placing cooling racks on top of the paper. Oil the racks with olive oil on a paper towel.
- 5
Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and shape into ping-pong sized meatballs (can make large if you prefer). Set the balls on the wire cooling racks and bake for about 15 minutes at 400°F.
- 6
While meatballs are baking, boil spaghetti until al dente.
- 7
Serve pasta with sauce and 3 or 4 meatballs. Add some freshly chopped mint on top of the whole dish for a distinctly Mediterranean flair. We don't typically add grated cheese to this, because this allows the bright, zesty sauce and wonderfully herbed meatballs to shine.
A note from James
Serve meatballs with Arrabiatta sauce and spaghetti. Drink/wine pairing: a Sangiovese or Zinfandel work very well, as does Shiraz.
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