Fennel Meatballs | Toasted Parsley Bread Crumbs | Tomato Preserves | Barilla Spaghetti | Clams
By Matthia Accurso | Barilla Rep Your Region 2017 Finalist
What inspired the dish?
“Many people, when they think of Massachusetts, they think Boston, Cape Cod, etc… Since I have lived in Massachusetts, I’ve gotten so much exposure to the beautiful fish and shellfish from the coast. But there is also great pasture-raised grass fed cows and heritage pork that has come out the longstanding dairy communities in the western part of the state. I wanted to capture both of these aspects of Massachusetts and represent them in one dish using Barilla pasta as the vehicle.” – Matthia Accurso
Fennel Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
- 6 oz. Ground Local Pork Shoulder
- 6 oz. Ground Local Grass Fed Beef
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Toasted, Crushed Fennel Seed
- 1 small pinch Red-Pepper Flakes
- 1 clove Garlic, Minced
- 1 ea. Medium Egg
- ¼ cup Bread Crumbs, Toasted
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese Vegetable Oil as needed
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and mix well until well incorporated. This can be done either in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment or by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Once mixed, portion into roughly ½ ounce balls. Heat a saute pan over medium heat with about ¼” of vegetable oil.
- Fry meatballs in stages, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Toasted Parsley Breadcrumbs
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Whole Butter
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 small bunch Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, Roughly Chopped
DIRECTIONS
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter and stir until butter is completely melted and bubbling.
- Add breadcrumbs and salt and stir for several minutes until breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
- Transfer to a food processor and process for several minutes until the breadcrumbs and parsley are well combined.
Tomato Preserves
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ea. Plum Tomatoes, Washed, Quartered
- 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Clove Garlic, Thinly Sliced
- sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 ea. Bay Leaf
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and make sure that everything is completely submerged in the oil. Add more if necessary.
- Heat over low heat until the oil begins to bubble slightly. Continue to cook at this rate for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- When ready to use, remove tomatoes from the oil, peel away skin and discard the skin, then chop the flesh roughly.
Spaghetti and Clams
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz. Dry Barilla Spaghetti
- 1 gallon Salted Boiling Water
- about 30 Wellfleet Littleneck Clams, Scrubbed, Purged
- 6 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Red Chili Flakes
- 4 cloves Garlic, Thinly Sliced
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 1 small bunch Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
DIRECTIONS
- Bring water to a rolling boil. It is important to begin cooking the pasta once all of your other ingredients are prepared and just before you begin to cook your clams. You can cook the pasta per the specifications on the box, however it is important to remember that it is best to only cook the pasta 80% of the way in the water and finish cooking the rest of the way with the clams in the sauce.
- For the clams, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 3 ounces of olive oil, then the garlic and red chili flakes. Once this just begins to cook, add your clams and white wine. Allow this to simmer covered for several minutes just until the clams begin to open up.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Add the spaghetti at this point and chopped tomatoes, with a couple tablespoons of the oil that the tomatoes were cooked in. Continue to cook for several minutes until the clams are fully open and pasta is al dente.
- Finish this pasta with chopped parsley, the remaining olive oil, roasted meatballs and adjust seasoning with more salt if necessary.
- Toss together well and portion among 4 large bowls.
- Top liberally with toasted parsley bread crumbs and serve.
