Miso Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic, adored by everyone young and old. Some of my first food memories are of this classic dish, and it still holds a special place in my recipe book. In fact, the first thing my boyfriend ever prepared for me was Spaghetti- just like my parents make it, too!

Although we all pretty much love this combination of sauced pasta and chunks of  seasoned meat, sometimes it's nice to do something slightly different. Today I felt like having dumplings for lunch. To be honest, dumplings can be quite tedious. For this reason we are going to deconstruct them, making spaghetti and meatballs that taste just like them.

Pork Meatballs:

1 lb ground pork
2 teaspoons siracha
2 teaspoons tamari
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 mushrooms- minced
1 cup cabbage- minced
2 large cloves garlic- minced
1/4 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 green onions, sliced

yield: 20 meatballs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine together all of the ingredients, in a medium bowl
Mix until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the pork
Divide the mixture up between 20 meatballs
Roll by hand to create smooth balls
Place each ball on a well greased sheet tray
Roast the meatballs until cooked thoroughly about 25-30 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving

Miso Sauce:

5 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic- minced
1 cup white wine
5 Tablespoons white miso paste
1 lb angel hair pasta- cooked
1 orange zested
4 basil leaves

Yield:4-6 servings

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat
Pour the wine into the pan, and return to heat
Allow the wine to reduce by half
Stir in the miso, remove the heat
Toss the pasta in the sauce until evenly coated
Place the dressed pasta onto a plate, add meatballs
Garnish with orange zest and basil leaves

Fresh citrus complements the butter and salty miso. The meatballs are earthy, and slightly spicy, but are easily toned down by the addition of pasta. Mix the two together and you get a nice, light rendition of two classics. Congrats my friends, we just made some easy fusion fare. Serve the pasta with the same white wine you used in the sauce and you won't have to worry about a bad wine pairing, either. Dumplings made easy, or a change up to your spaghetti? You decide.


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JTFussy