Fettuccine with veal meatballs, peas and mushrooms

I may have eaten a few meatballs before dinner

This was inspired by a recipe in La Mia Cucina Toscana by Pino Luongo. The recipe calls for deep frying the meatballs. Yum, but we’ve already done more than one fried recipe this year and we can’t go knocking on our friends door every time we want to fry something. Also, they’d notice if we stole it.

For the meatballs

• 1 lb veal
• about 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Romano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

Combine all ingredients and stir to incorporate. If the meatballs feel too wet add more breadcrumbs. Form meatballs about the size of a jawbreaker. (About a 1/2 inch in diameter.) Add one to two tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot add about half the meatballs. Brown on each side, rotating to cook evenly. The meatballs should take about five minutes to cook. Set cooked meatballs on a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

For pasta

• 1 lb fettuccine
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 4 cups button mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Romano

Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute onion and garlic . Cook until tender, about four minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook about five minutes, or until mushrooms have released their water and are tender. Add peas and cook for another three minutes. Add stock, sherry, basil and mint. Cook for another five minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add meatballs and toss to coat. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving about a quarter cup of the water. Drain pasta and stir into sauce, add butter and cheese and cooking liquid as needed.