Why don't we try this?

The hubs likes to find recipes on Saturday mornings before we go out to meander and run errands. Then I think about this new recipe all day!

This weekend was no exception so I bring to you our little version of Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs. I love love love Giada but I very rarely try her recipes, I'm not sure why that is.

Here's what you'll need for our version:

Sauce:

2 tbsp evoo

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

crushed red pepper flakes (depending on your tongue, less than an 1/8 tsp)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 grated Romano

1/4 cup parsley

cup mushrooms, chopped

s&p to taste

Meatballs:

1 shallot, grated

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3  cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp dried basil

1 egg

2 tbsp ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 lbs ground meat, whatever you choose

2 ounces of cubed smoked gouda

Preheat to 400

Let's do the meatballs first.

Grate your shallot and you can go ahead and do the garlic too. The only reason that I didn't is that I forgot!

Chop and add the parsley

Here we have the garlic, egg, spices, ketchup, cheese and bread. Mix it all up into a delicious concoction!

Now, roll them out however you see fit. I rolled them all out. then washed the hands (of course)

and cubed up the gouda.

*Side note, Smoked Gouda is one of my favorite cheeses. It has substance so it can hold up to alot of recipes and it has that delightful smoked flavor. This was the hubs first encounter with smoked gouda and he liked it IN the recipe, but for just a cheese to eat he says that he's not that much of a fan.*

Then made an indent (like above) in each meatball and add the cube of cheese. Base your cube size on how big your meatball is. It's a preference. Then you just sort of re-shape the meatball around the cheese, like so:

We wanted to put these on the grill but it didn't really work out for us, so into the oven they went

For about 15 minutes or so. I might have done 17 on this batch because they were a little bigger than I usually roll out.

NOW, for the sauce:

Get your garlic and

onions chopped and going in the pan with some evoo.

*Side note, see that Dark Chocolate bar in the background? There is always, always one sitting right there by the cutting board. It's the hubs super secret powers. He picks at it as his after work snack.*

Get some lovely and tasty carmelization going on here.

Add in all your lovelies, the tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley and simmer for a bit. Then in the last 15ish minutes add in the Romano cheese. This will thicken it up quite a bit.

You can add in the meatballs and let them simmer for a while. I didn't do that because I had BIG BIG leftover plans for them. Serve over the pasta of your choice!

This was really great. It was spicy enough to be interesting but not so much that I had to stop eating it. The meatballs were rather delicious and the smoked gouda added something special. The Romano in the sauce was just right. I think next time I might work some basil into the sauce somehow. I just think that having tomato without basil is silly.
There are plenty of meatballs here to freeze them or use them in a leftover, or both.

This, I believe will be added to my pile of fall backs.