MAKE-AHEAD PASTA NIGHT
By Anne Willhoit
Talking with a group of friends on a tired Friday night while enjoying a burger and fries at Cafe Hitchcock, one confessed to not having cooked a “real meal” in ages. “Unless you count pasta,” she said. Since when do we not consider pasta a real meal? It definitely counts! There are, however, a few tricks you can have up your sleeve to make pasta night a little more substantial. I’m a big fan of the “cook once and freeze it for the future method.” One of the delights of wintertime and the holidays is making time to gather. If you find yourself with a tableful of people, how lucky you are. This in-a-snap, two-part meal is perfect for feeding those you love, leaving you with more time to soak up their precious company.
Make-Ahead Meatballs
Having a big bag of meatballs in the freezer makes me feel like I’m ready to take on whatever surprises that a busy week dishes out. This is my tried-and-true recipe, but feel free to make it your own if there are flavors you prefer, such as red pepper flakes or different meat choices.
makes 36, 2-inch meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. red wine or milk
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil, optional
All-purpose flour, olive oil to finish
Mix everything well in a large bowl. Lay out three plates, two empties and one scattered with about 1 cup of flour. Roll 2-inch balls in your hands and then roll each in the flour. Place the coated balls on the second plate. Heat a large skillet over medium-low and when it’s hot, add a slick of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place about half of the meatballs in the hot oil and let cook without touching for about 2 minutes to build up a crust. Pan fry for a total of 10 to 15 minutes, moving each meatball around carefully with a spoon. Remove meatballs to cool, scrape out any over-browned bits, add more oil, and fry up the second batch.
Add the cooked meatballs to your favorite heated sauce and serve. Or, to freeze, lay out on a lined baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or two, then move to a freezer bag.
Sauce Packs
Our family loves having ready-to-go sauces in freezer bags. The great thing about this technique is that eaters can break off whatever portion size they want. Kids need to eat early before batting practice? Break off a small piece for one. Got to feed the whole crew? Break off a larger piece. And, because you spread it thinly in the bag, it heats quickly in the same pot in which you made the pasta.
Here’s how: Make a batch of your favorite sauce. (See some suggestions below.) Cool it completely. Spread thinly in a freezer bag. Label clearly. Lay flat in the freezer until it’s hardened. When you’re ready to eat, boil the pasta as instructed, drain and leave in the strainer. Pop the amount of sauce that you want in the same pot and heat on low for just a minute, until it’s hot. Put the pasta back in the pot and combine. Done!
You can use this trick with any sauce—homemade or storebought. If you’re going to freeze homemade pesto, a great way to preserve some seasonal abundance, just add a little lemon juice to your blend to keep it from browning.
Here are a few of my other favorites.
Tomato Sauce
This is my take on the classic Marcella Hazan three ingredient sauce. You will be amazed by the delicious sum that is greater than its parts. Open one 2-ounce can of tomatoes, whole or crushed, and add to a medium pot. Add n a half-teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons butter and a peeled, halved onion. Simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes. Blend smooth.
Kale Sauce
I just know this vibrant green sauce is about to become a staple in your house. Created by Portland chef, Josh McFadden, it’s another easy one to make and is a real green veggie boost. Take one bunch of kale (about 8-10 stems), rinse and remove the leaves from the stems. Before adding the pasta to the boiling water, submerge the kale leaves and 2 cloves of peeled garlic in the boiling water for five minutes. Since you’ll use the boiling water for the pasta, remove the leaves and garlic from the water with a slotted spoon straight into the blender. (It’s OK if the leaves are wet. That will help your sauce become smooth.) Add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend and add a little more water as needed until you have a smooth, velvety sauce. Add 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
Pro tip: Keep some boxes of T&C pasta on hand —it’s good stuff!— and you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way.
