Author Notes
Meet porchetta meatballs. They’re seasoned with fennel seed, orange zest, garlic, rosemary, and parmesan, then broiled on a sheet pan until golden and crispy—so basically all of the flavors of porchetta in a fraction of the time. They are delicious served any which way, but here I nestle them up with pasta, Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce, and lots of cheese and bake them until the cheese is melty and the pasta is a little browned. Marcella sauce is absolutely perfect as is, but for this dish, I like to swap the onion with fennel to reinforce the fennel flavor in the meatballs. The whole dish can be assembled in advance, popped in the oven when you’re ready, and brought straight to the table for an unforgettable meal. —EmilyC
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Ingredients
- For the porchetta meatballs
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2 pounds
ground pork
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1 1/2 cups
whole-milk ricotta
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3
garlic cloves, minced
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2 teaspoons
finely grated orange zest (from 1 large or 2 small oranges)
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2 teaspoons
fennel seed, lightly crushed or chopped
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1 tablespoon
finely chopped rosemary
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1/2 cup
finely chopped parsley
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1/2 cup
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons
olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
- For rest of dish
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2
28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
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8 tablespoons
butter
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1
medium fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into six to eight pieces
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Kosher salt, to taste
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1 pound
pasta, such as penne or medium shells
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1 1/2 cups
whole-milk ricotta
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1 1/2 cups
cubed or shredded mozzarella
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Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
- For the porchetta meatballs
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In a large bowl, combine pork, ricotta, garlic, orange zest, fennel seed, rosemary, parsley, Parmesan, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix together with your hands until well combined.
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Line a large sheet pan with foil and, using your hands, rub olive oil over the entire surface.
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Heat broiler and place top oven rack below heat source.
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Shape pork mixture into small meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each or 1 1/2-inches wide, and place them on the foil-lined sheet pan. It’s fine if they’re close together or touching. Drizzle the meatballs with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil meatballs about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them once, until they’re browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from oven; cover with foil to keep warm.
- For rest of dish
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Put whole tomatoes in a saucepan (tip: use kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes into small pieces once they’re in the pan) and add the butter, fennel, and a few pinches of salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it is thickened to your liking, stirring from time and time.
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Taste and correct for salt. Before using, either remove the fennel and save for another use, or remove, finely chop it, and return it to the sauce.
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Meanwhile, heat oven to 400° F. Cook pasta until al dente (according to package directions) in a large pot of salted water. Drain (do not rinse) and add the pasta to the sauce, mixing well to combine. Gently fold in meatballs and mozzarella.
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Transfer pasta and meatballs to a baking dish; distribute in an even layer. Add spoonfuls of the ricotta evenly over the pasta, pressing the mounds down into the sauce a bit. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the pasta is lightly browned on top.
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