Pappardelle with Meatballs and Mushrooms
This festive dish, reminiscent of Italian ragù, combines mushrooms, red wine tomato sauce, cheese and fennel-spiced pork meatballs, paired with pappardelle for a friendly dining experience that’ll whisk you away.
Ingredients
- 10 soda crackers, crumbled
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 lb (450 g) lean ground pork
- 1 package (14 g) dried porcini or bolete mushrooms (optional) (see note)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) butter
- 1 lb (450 g) white mushrooms, sliced into thin wedges
- 6 oz (170 g) baby king oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) red wine
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef broth
- 3/4 lb (340 g) pappardelle
- Blue cheese, crumbled or sharp cheddar cheese shavings, to taste
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the ground pork. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the meat and mix well with your hands. Season generously with pepper.
- With lightly oiled hands, shape the meat mixture into meatballs using about 2 tsp for each one. Set the meatballs aside on a plate.
This festive dish, reminiscent of Italian ragù, combines mushrooms, red wine tomato sauce, cheese and fennel-spiced pork meatballs, paired with pappardelle for a friendly dining experience that’ll whisk you away.