Creamy Tuscan Spaghetti & Meatballs

Creamy Tuscan Spaghetti & Meatballs

🥘 Ingredients

  • Tuscan Heat Spice
    1 tbsp
  • butter
    3 tbsp
  • chicken stock concentrate
    2 unit
  • cooking oil
    2 tsp
  • cream sauce base
    8 oz
  • garlic
    2 clove
  • ground beef
    20 oz
  • ketchup
    1 unit
  • lemon
    1 unit
  • panko breadcrumbs
    ½ cup
  • salt
  • scallions
    4 unit
  • spaghetti
    12 oz
  • water
    1 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

  • large pot
  • zester
  • medium bowl
  • baking sheet
  • strainer
  • large pan
  1. 1
    Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Thinly slice scallions , separating whites from greens. Mince whites. Zest lemon with a zester and quarter lemon. Peel and mince or grate garlic .
    scallions: 4 unit, lemon: 1 unit, garlic: 2 clove
  2. 2
    In a medium bowl , combine ground beef , panko breadcrumbs , half the scallion greens, half the ketchup , 1 TBSP water , juice from one lemon wedge, and ½ tsp of salt ( salt and pepper; we used ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp for 4 servings). (For 4 servings, use all the ketchup, 2 TBSP water, and juice from two lemon wedges.) Form into 8-10 1-inch meatballs (16-20 meatballs for 4). Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lightly oiled with cooking oil .
    ground beef: 20 oz, panko breadcrumbs: ½ cup, ketchup: 1 unit, water: 1 tbsp, salt, cooking oil: 2 tsp
  3. 3
    Roast meatballs on top rack until browned and cooked through, ⏱️ 15 minutes .
  4. 4
    Once the water is boiling, add spaghetti to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, ⏱️ 10 minutes . Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain with a strainer .
    spaghetti: 12 oz
  5. 5
    Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, scallion whites, and half the lemon zest; cook, stirring, until fragrant, ⏱️ 30 seconds . Stir in cream sauce base , chicken stock concentrate , half the Tuscan Heat Spice (all for 4 servings), and ¼ cup reserved pasta water (½ cup for 4). Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add 2 TBSP butter (3 TBSP for 4); taste and season with salt and pepper.
    cream sauce base: 8 oz, chicken stock concentrate: 2 unit, Tuscan Heat Spice: 1 tbsp, butter: 3 tbsp
  6. 6
    Add drained spaghetti and meatballs to the sauce; toss to coat. (For 4 servings, if the pan isn’t large enough, carefully transfer everything back to the empty pasta pot.) If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in creamy sauce. Divide between bowls and season with pepper. Top with remaining scallion and remaining lemon zest to taste. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice. Ground beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.