Tuscan Spaghetti & Meatballs with Bacon

🥘 Ingredients

• Tuscan Heat Spice
  1 tbsp
• bacon
  8 oz
• black pepper
• 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
  4 tsp
• scallions
  4 unit
• spaghetti
  12 oz
• water
  1 tbsp, ¼ cup

🍳 Cookware

• large pot
• medium bowl
• baking sheet
• 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 produce. Thinly slice scallions , separating whites from greens; mince whites. Zest 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 , water , juice from one lemon wedge, salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4 servings), and black pepper . (For 4, use all the ketchup, 2 TBSP water, and juice from two lemon wedges.) Form into 8-10 one-inch meatballs (16-20 meatballs for 4). Place 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: 4 tsp, black pepper, cooking oil: 2 tsp
3. 

   3

   Roast meatballs on top rack until browned and cooked through, ⏱️ 14-16 minutes .
4. 

   4

   Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, ⏱️ 9-11 minutes . Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

   spaghetti: 12 oz
5. 

   5

   Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, scallion whites, and half the lemon zest; cook, stirring, until fragrant, ⏱️ 30-60 seconds . Stir in cream sauce base , chicken stock concentrate , half the Tuscan Heat Spice (all for 4 servings), and water reserved cooking water (½ cup for 4). Bring to a simmer, then remove pan from 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, water: ¼ cup, butter: 3 tbsp
6. 

   6

   Add drained spaghetti and meatballs to pan with sauce; toss to coat. (For 4 servings, if your pan isn't large enough, carefully transfer everything back to the empty pasta pot.) TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce. Divide pasta between bowls and season with pepper. Top with remaining scallion greens and remaining lemon zest to taste. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice. If desired, garnish with bacon .

   bacon: 8 oz