spicy pesto chickpea meatballs all’arrabbiata
Balls for Valentine’s Day? Yes, I planned it like that.
I remember as a child those little Valentine’s Day stocking-like things my teachers set up each February. We had a chance, as little twerps, to write secret messages to the other little twerps we admired. I don’t remember getting any special ones, just some generic shit from the adults or a couple of my quasi-friends. We probably did some arts and crafts stuff too, and I may have given a gift or two to my mom. Yeah, my memories of Valentines are a bit fuzzy.
In my few relationships, V-Day was never interesting, and even now in a nearly five-year union (WOW!) it’s not really acknowledged. Except, of course, what attention I’m giving it here, because I recognize some folks go above and beyond. The motivations aren’t my business, but I can help in a way by providing some tasty noms.
Friday I shared these precious Cosmic Brownie Hearts for dessert, and today we’re talking supper. Italian seems appropriate for an ooey gooey romantic evening at home, as such cuisine isn’t always a staple in the everyday cooking repertoire and a lot of fancy restaurants house big carby pasta parties.
And of course, since I love making phallic jokes, I took the meatball route and dunked them in a rich, savory, spicy arrabbiata style sauce. The kicker with arrabbiata is the heat level, otherwise it’s incredibly unfussy and well loved by almost any palate. You can simmer it as quick or as slow as you’d like, depending on how impatient you are. Grab the recipe by the balls.
Chicks and Balls
I spread my balls on the Internet at any given opportunity, and these ones wear an Italian disguise. Along with the usual combination of ingredients, I added a heap of Italian seasoning and some smoked paprika. Pulse it up until crumbly but cohesive, then roll into balls. I find oiling my hands helpful to prevent any unwanted stickiness. Sticky balls are no good.
Give the meatballs a little pan fry to crisp up each side, then move them onto a plate.
Now, the cool thing with this simple little dish is that you can do it all in one pan. Sweet. Toss in a little more oil and saute some onion, then add lots of garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Pour in a big heap of canned San Marzano tomatoes – you can also use regular plum tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, but San Marzanos are typically less acidic and create a more balanced sauce.
If using whole tomatoes, smash them down frequently with a wooden spoon as they cook. I like to use my immersion blender to puree the sauce towards the end of cooking time since I like it real smooth. Coats the balls better, you know? 20 minutes is adequate for a beautiful flavor, but if you want to slow cook it for a few hours, it’s so great that way.
The Finish
Most arrabbiata sauces use fresh basil, but I had some pesto around so I threw that into the pot instead. Be sure to give your sauce a few tastes and adjust the salt and pepper. I needed a bit of sugar, too, to cut down the tomatoes’ acidity.
Add the balls into the pan and baste for a few minutes with the sauce. The smell is extraordinary. Transports you right into the snazziest Italian trattoria.
I chose to serve my balls over orzo, mostly because I had a bag of orzo haunting my cabinet. I baked up some garlic bread, which was a fucking fabulous idea too, highly recommend you do so as well. A buttload of fresh basil and some extra shaved parmesan completes each bowl.
I tell you, these balls are divine. The best balls you’ve ever had. You might want to marry them so they’re the only balls you have the rest of your life, and trust me, you’ll be fine with that. Ain’t no balls like Italian balls.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Fancy up your balls:
Garlic Butter Chickpea Meatballs with Wild Rice Pilaf
Sage Parmesan Chickpea Meatballs with White Wine Gravy
spicy pesto chickpea meatballs all’arrabbiata
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 large yellow onion, quartered
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan, grated
arrabbiata sauce
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to your taste
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 28-oz cans San Marzano tomatoes
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 2 cups dry orzo
- garlic bread, chopped basil, and parmesan, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, walnuts, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, parmesan, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until a coarse but cohesive dough forms. Rub your hands with olive oil and roll into "meatballs", oiling your hands every two or three balls. Hehe. You will get anywhere from 12-16 balls.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Fry the meatballs 8-10 minutes, turning every minute or so until each side is crisped. Move the meatballs to a plate.
- Drizzle another tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Saute the onion until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir in the sugar. Cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes (or longer!) Watch the heat level to ensure none of the sauce burns to the bottom of the pan. Crush the tomatoes occasionally with a wooden spoon to smooth out the sauce, or use an immersion blender.
- Toward the end of cooking time, stir in the pesto. Add the meatballs back to the pan and baste with the sauce for an additional 5 minutes.
- Divide the orzo and meatballs among plates. Serve with lots of chopped basil, garlic bread, and extra parmesan, as desired.
