Rigatoni in Arrabiatta Sauce with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Arrabiata sauce is one of my favorite sauces to eat pasta with. The word arrabiata means “angry sauce”, hence the crushed red pepper sautéed in olive oil at the beginning of preparation instead of adding it in at the end. This spicy sauce originated in Rome, using the basic ingredients of garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, as well as the olive oil and either crushed or fresh red pepper. Other additions to the sauce can include finely diced onions and torn fresh basil. You can serve it with just about any type of pasta. I prefer to use pasta that holds the sauce like rigatoni, penne, or ziti.Want to kick up your meatballs? Stuff them with cubes of mozzarella cheese. The meatball base is made out of ground beef, but you can use 50/50 beef and pork, or all pork. Your call. Since they are larger meatballs, they will cook best in the oven. They will take about 30 minutes at 350°.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni prepared according to package instructions
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- 24 oz 80% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small yellow onion grated
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz brick mozzarella
Arrabiata Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup salted pasta water]
Instructions
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Add all the meatball ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix until they are incorporated.
- Roll into 16 meatballs.
- Cut the brick mozzarella into 16 cubes.
- Stick a cube of mozzarella into each of the meatballs.
- Roll back into balls. Place on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes.
- Let rest.
Arrabiata Sauce
- Heat up olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the crushed red pepper for 1 minute.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes and pasta water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the prepared rigatoni.
- Add in the meatballs. Cook for 5 more minutes.
