The Meatballs are Back

I know I went crazy a couple of months ago and made a ton of different kinds of meatballs, but what can I say? My youngest son just keeps asking me for meatballs when I say, "What should I make for dinner?" Besides, there are so many different kinds of meatballs out there!

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and pepper
3/4 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, diced small
1 pound ground beef chuck (80 percent lean)
1 pound mushrooms, such as button or cremini, trimmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 1/2 cups pasta water; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer 1/4 cup shallots to breadcrumb mixture, along with beef and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Form into 1-inch balls and place, 1 inch apart, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes, turning halfway through.

Add mushrooms to pot with remaining shallots and cook, stirring, over medium, until mushrooms are softened, 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons dill. Add meatballs and toss to coat. Divide pasta among four bowls and top with meatballs, sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons dill.

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food, October 2012. You can find it here.

Notes: My grocery store didn't have any fresh dill, so I used parsley instead. This was so good. Really easy to make, quick to throw together, and really tasty.