Equipment
Ingredients
Ginger Meatballs
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs
- 60 ml whole milk
- 500 g ground beef, 80/20 lean to fat ratio
- 1 egg
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 10 g garlic, finely minced
- 30 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Tomato-Ginger Sauce
- 30 ml olive oil
- 100 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 10 g garlic, thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne
- 800 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 3 g kosher salt
Pasta and Garnish
- 400 g spaghetti, dry
- 10 g fresh basil, leaves torn
- 20 g parmigiano-reggiano, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and whole milk. Stir well and let the mixture sit to hydrate, creating a panade.
Add the ground beef, beaten egg, grated ginger, minced garlic, grated parmesan, salt, and black pepper to the panade. Gently mix by hand just until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Portion the meat mixture into slightly larger than golf-ball sized spheres, rolling them gently between your palms.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and sear until deeply browned on all sides, then remove them to a plate.
Lower the heat to medium. In the remaining fat in the Dutch oven, add the diced onion, sliced garlic, and julienned ginger. Cook until the onions are translucent and the aromatics are highly fragrant.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and salt, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Gently return the meatballs to the sauce, bring to a gentle bubble, and partially cover. Cook until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 74C/165F.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until strictly al dente.
Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the simmering sauce along with a small splash of the starchy cooking water. Gently combine to coat the noodles evenly in the sauce without breaking the meatballs.
Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and additional grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Grating the ginger into the meatball mixture using a microplane is crucial. It ensures the flavor permeates the meat evenly and prevents guests from biting into fibrous chunks of ginger.
- Searing the meatballs first creates a rich fond on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Deglazing this fond with the moisture from the onions and tomatoes provides an essential umami backbone.
- Do not rush the sauce's simmering phase. Cooking the ginger in the tomato sauce over low heat mellows its sharp, biting heat into a warm, deeply aromatic sweetness.
- Finishing the pasta directly in the sauce with a splash of starchy pasta water ensures a glossy coat that clings to the noodles, rather than creating a watery pool at the bottom of the plate.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pasta and meatball sauce in separate airtight containers to prevent the pasta from becoming mushy.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze only the meatballs and sauce. Do not freeze the boiled spaghetti.
Reheating: Reheat sauce and meatballs in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, then toss with freshly boiled pasta.
