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Veal and Pork Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy and Egg Noodles

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed

  • 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

  • 1 1/4 pounds ground pork

  • 1 1/4 pounds ground veal

  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or made into a paste

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • Freshly grated nutmeg

For the mushroom gravy:

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine or dry white wine

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

For the meatballs: Soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl.

Put the pork and veal in a large bowl. Squeeze the liquid from the bread and mash it into small crumbs between your fingers as you add it to the bowl. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, eggs, parsley, a healthy drizzle of EVOO and some salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix gently to combine.

Keep a bowl of warm water on hand for rolling the meatballs. Place wire racks over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, moistening your hands as needed, and place on the racks (24 meatballs balls per rack). Bake until cooked through, 18-20 minutes.

For the mushroom gravy: Bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the dried mushrooms and simmer until soft.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and EVOO in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until browned, 12-15 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes more. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Chop the reconstituted mushrooms and add to the gravy. Pour in most of the stock, reserving the last few spoonfuls, as grit may settle here. Stir in the cream and cook until the gravy thickens a bit. Add half the meatballs to the gravy. (Reserve the remaining meatballs for another meal, such as Stuffed Peppers with Broken Meatballs and Rice.)

Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the noodles and divide among plates. Top with the gravy and meatballs, and garnish with parsley.

Cook's Note: The meatballs and gravy can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat, covered, over medium heat while you cook the pasta. Add a ladle of the starchy cooking water to the gravy if needed to thin.