🍽️ Orzo with Meatballs

We all have our FAV pasta recipe and its’s usually a quick “Bolognese recipe that we picked up from our Moms or our FAV cooking person, like Ina, Giada or which ever cookbook author who holds the most real estate on your cookbook shelf.  Well, this is not a replacement for that, hang onto your own, as you should have one that you absolutely love, is your Go-To and that you could make in your sleep or if you were somewhere besides your own kitchen and you needed/wanted to whip it up for others.  If you don’t have one, checkout my very easy pasta and meat sauce recipe from my book, it’s easy, quick and freezes well.  Anyway, here’s one when you  want something just a little different.  Orzo is a different texture of pasta, and it lends itself to more of a ‘porridge dinner,’ in that you would most likely eat it in a small bowl rather than a dish, although a dish would be just fine.  It is dense and hearty with the meatballs.  I add some milk (or cream if I have on hand) at the end of the cooking process so it just has that comfort food feel to it.  The recipe makes a large quantity, so I had dinner for the two of  us, leftovers for two lunches for moi and 4, 1-2 servings freezer bags (always labeled and dated) which I took over for my Mom and my niece, Sophia, to enjoy.  The report back from both my Mom and Sophia was a Thumbs Up 👍 

This was a nice cozy dinner for two in our sunroom, by the fire and the Hubby too enjoyed it, telling me that it is now one of his FAV dishes…So for all these reasons, I think you will find it worthy of a Marvelous Monday selection…But like I said, Don’t give up you “Go To” Pasta dish, your people would be just too disappointed…

Ingredients 

Meatballs

-1 large egg

-1 pound ground beef or lamb

-4 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley (+ 1 Tbsp. more for garnish

-3 teaspoons freshly minced garlic                     

-3 Tablespoons dried bread crumbs (I use my own) 

-1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan chees (+ more for garnish/serving)

-1 teaspoon coarse salt

Sauce

-2 cups water

-2 cups beef or chicken stock

-3 Tablespoons olive oil

-1 small onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)

-3 Tablespoons finely chopped Parsley

-1 Tablespoon finely chopped Oregano

-1/3 cup dry red wine

-2 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

-1 teaspoon coarse salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-1/2 cup cream or half and half

-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

-10 ounces orzo pasta

Method

     1.  Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place all ingredients for Meatballs into a large bowl and mix gently together with your hands. Do not over handle or mix as it will cause the meatballs to be to dense and heavy.

     2.  Roll about 30 meatballs, each to about 1-1.25 inches in diameter.

     3.  Measure out and have water and stock close to your cooking area, and  some additional to add it if you would like your sauce a little less  thick.

     4.  Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, large enough for meatballs and sauce.  With heat at around medium, add onion and cook until soft.  Stir in parsley and oregano, and red pepper flakes, cook an additional minute and then add the dry red wine.  Let cook about another minute and then add in the tomatoes.   Pour the extra water you have on hand into the cans to get out any additional liquid from the tomatoes.  Add  2 cups of water and stock.  Let this mixture come to a boil, turn the heat down, place the lid on and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

    5.  Uncover the pan and with a set of tongs, place each meatball into the bubbling sauce.  Bring mixture, again to a boil, then turn heat down.  Place lid back on and let meatballs and sauce simmer for about 20 minutes.

     6.  Remove lid from and add orzo, stirring gently.  Turn up the heat and bring mixture to a boil.  Turn down heat a little, cooking at a simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until orzo is cooked.  You will want to check and stir mixture frequently so it will not stick to bottom.  Stir gently, as not to mush orzo or smash/break up the meatballs.  When the cooking time is complete, turn off heat, add the cream/half & half and stir gently.

      7.  Ladle mixture into shallow bowls and garnish with Parmesan and fresh parsley.  Serve with a steamed vegetable, some Michigan Toast (from my book or your FAV bread), and a nice glass of wine, sparkling water or your FAV beverage.  Sound like a lovely way to end…A Great Day 🥣