Signature Dish of the Day: Rotini Meatball Pasta
Signature Dish of the Day: Wrapping up the week with this beautiful and irresistibly delicious Rotini Meatball Pasta as our signature dish of the day today! I don't make meatballs very often since they are a bit labor-intensive, but when I do, I tend to pair them with pasta because they match so beautifully well together. Rotini pasta, also known as fusilli, typically has a distinct spiral/corkscrew shape. I love this particular variety as it not only cooks quickly but also absorbs and retain sauces very well within its spiral shape.
To get started, I first prepared the meatballs following my standard Homemade Beef Meatballs recipe which is also documented on our Recipe Index. The only change I made to the meatball recipe was to use Japanese panko bread crumbs as well as a bit of a canola/olive oil blend as my binding agent instead of using eggs. I used parchment paper to absorb any excess oil drippings and baked the meatballs in the oven at 350℉ for 20 minutes. Once done, I took them out and set them aside to cool in a bowl. Thereafter, I brought 4 cups of water seasoned with a dash of oil and some salt to taste in a large pot to a boil and then poured in 1 whole packet of rotini pasta. I kept stirring from time to time and let this cook uncovered for 9 minutes under medium-high heat. I immediately turned off the heat as soon as the pasta was cooked al dente.
While the pasta had been boiling, I had also begun building my sauce - I heated up 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan under medium heat and then poured in a blend of diced red onions and tomatoes into the pan. After about 2 minutes, I sprinkled in some minced garlic and let this cook for just 1 minutes before pouring in a about 1 cup of pasta sauce. Instead of pouring out the pasta water, I scooped about 4 ladles of the liquid into my sauce to help thicken it and enhance the overall flavor. I then poured in the cooked meatballs, stirred thoroughly to coat well with the sauce, and let this cook down slowly under medium-low heat. After about 5 minutes, I used a skimmer to scoop out the cooked rotini pasta into the meatball mixture and mixed well to blend with the sauce. I also sprinkled about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and just a dash of cheddar cheese for that extra gooey texture. Finally, I garnished the dish with some dry parsley flakes and served hot on its own as a main course for dinner. While this dish involves a number of steps that may seem a bit labor-intensive, I assure you that every investment of effort is well worth the reward of a truly satisfying and delicious meal at the end of it! I hope you give this a try soon too. Enjoy! 😍😋💝
