One of those comforting, hearty dishes that I remember fondl from my youth, was Swedish Meatballs.  Growing up my Mom made these quite a bit, but she always used buttery egg noodles under her luscious meatballs.  However, I love the way the Papardelle holds the butter and makes this a substantially filling dish, especially that my boys can eat!!  Plus, I am an Italian girl and this just seems logical in my mind.  Pappardelle is the perfect choice, since its thick ribbon like shape holds up to the thick gravy and just makes this dish feel so comforting.

In the 70’s, Swedish meatballs were a big appetizer, and on many catering menus served with hearty buttered egg noodles.  Traditionally these are made small and fried.  I don’t feel it is necessary to fry these since I don’t fry my Itlaian meatballs, as I just crank of the heat in my oven to about 390 degrees, line a sheet pan with EVOO, lightly oil my hands as I roll these, and they get crispy and golden, yet remain moist and delicious inside.

To make the gravy, I simply remove the meatballs to a plate, add the beef broth to the sheet pan to begin deglazing, add some more salt and pepper, along with some dried thyme, and then pour it all into a saucepan, thicken with a slurry of flour and water and voila, a delicious hearty gravy!  With fall just around the corner, this is the perfect dinner on those chilly nights, or a nice Sunday supper! Give this a try I promise this will become a weekly go to meal.

Sinfully,

Susan xoxo

Swedish Meatballs with Buttered Papparedelle

• Servings: 5-6
• Time: 40 min.
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A retro appetizer, that's now a hearty meal!

 

 

 

 

• To serve as an appetizer just make the meatballs cocktail size, serve with the gravy, but omit the Pappardelle.

You can cut calories by decreasing butter on noodles, using fat free milk, I use fat free milk, and and using an eggwhite only.  I do all of those but I keep the butter content the same.  It’s a balancing act.

Credit: CrazySexySavor.com/Susan Mangieri-Maurath

Ingredients

• 1 lb, of meatloaf mix, (beef, pork, veal)
• 1/2 lb. of ground beef
• 2 slices of stale white bread torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• half an onion finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic finely minced
• 1/4 of milk
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tsp. of dried thyme
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme for garnishing dish after it is cooked
• 1 lb. of Pappardelle pasta
• 4 tbs. of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
• slurry of flour and water appx. 2 tbsp. of flour and enough water to just keep stirable
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl add stale bread broken into pieces, add bread crumbs and milk, mix lightly to moisten, let sit for about 10 minutes.  Add in egg, onions, garlic, spices, meat, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
2. Heat oven to 390 degrees.  Lightly oil a sheet pan with EVOO. With oiled hands begin to form small meatballs.  Place on greased sheet pan.  My mixture yielded about 26 meatballs.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Rotate pan to get even browning.
4. When meatballs are done.  Remove meatballs to dish, immediately deglaze pan with beef broth, thyme, salt and pepper.  Stir to remove the tasty, crusty bits that have immense flavor, you want all that in your gravy!
5. Add the pan drippings and broth mixture to a saucepan.  Heat over medium heat.  Whisk in slurry.  Whisk to incorporate.  Let simmer to thicken. Add in 1 1/2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce.  Add in meatballs to soak in gravy simmer while pasta is cooking.  When pasta is done, whisk in sour cream.  Do not boil or sour cream will break down.  Mix well to incorporate sour cream.
6. In a large pot boil water, add a handful of salt to boiling water.  I like to break up the Pappardelle a bit, so that the ribbons are manageable when eating.  I am a pasta breaker, I do the same to my spaghetti and linguine I don’t have the patience to twirl long tendrils of pasta.  Shh, don’t tell the pasta police!  Boil according to package directions.
7. Drain pasta well.  In large serving bowl, add pasta and mix with butter, stirring well to melt butter throughout pasta.  Add meatballs and gravy to the pasta, toss to coat.  Serve immediately.