Italian "gravy"

Another recipe from my in laws which I had to observe about 100 times before I got it down since those damn italians don't write any recipes down. I make this once a week and it freezes very well.

Italian style meatballs

My mother in law taught me how to make these. Let me say they are nothing like MY mother used to make (my mother's version had ketchup and onions - YUCK!). There is nothing like learning how to make meatballs italian style. My Mother in law and father in law never measured anything. I watched them make these about 10 times with my MIL telling me to add ingredients until it FEELS and SMELLS right.  Are you kidding me? As if raw meat of any kind feels good.

1 egg beaten in small bowl
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons italian seasoning
1 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs (if you make without these you need to put more italian seasoning in)
1 pound 80 ground chuck (they are much better when you buy this vs the 90% lean kind. I know, fattening. It is what it is)
3 cloves fresh garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands.

Depending on what I am making I make the meatballs different sizes. These are for regular sauce and meatballs.

If I make meatballs for sauce I put canola oil in a frying pan at medium high and wait for the oil to get hot before I put the garlic in.


Put the meatballs in just long enough to brown on the outside.

MMMM MEAT. 
Put in the sauce to cook the rest of the way.

Megan and I are carrying on the meatball making tradition; here's her version.

Pasta y fagioli

This is the best recipe ever! My mother in law taught me how to cook italian peasant style and sometimes that = FATTENING but I actually saw an extremely similar recipe in the WW cookbook. I am posting this as my first recipe post but I must warn you; I don't measure things. This explains my inability to cook brownies from a mix. Part of my wants my mother in law to read this and critique to see if I do it right. Yes you heard that right.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
salt
pepper
italian seasoning
olive oil
1 15 oz can plain hunts tomato sauce
1 19 oz can cannellini beans
1 cup ditalini pasta

Finely chop onion;

Whn I'm chooping onions and I don't feel like using the food processor I use this doohickey which I LOVE

sometimes I know I won't have time before dinner so I cut everything up in the morning and put in these handy dandy containers I bought on Amazon; they have covers so you can just pop them in the fridge so there's less prep work when I get home ..

Rinse Cannellini beans

Chop up 3 cloves garlic; don't use the store bought minced stuff; the real thing makes a HUGE difference

Saute about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan; once the oil is very hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and add a few shakes of italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile boil a few cups of water for the pasta. 

Wait until the onion is transluscent (about 5 minutes) and add the tomato sauce.  Fill the empty tomato sauce can with water and empty into pan.   Cook about 10 minutes. This is where I often walk away and forget about the pot and come back to a petrified pot of burnt SHIT. But I digress....   

When the pasta is ready (about 8 minutes), strain it with a bowl underneath to catch a few cups of the water from the pasta.  

Add pasta to the sauce along with a cup and a half or so of the pasta water. Add the beans and a few shakes of parmesan cheese. Can you tell i don't like to meausure things? Oh and for all of you organic people who happen to have "shaved homeade parmesan cheese" on hand: BITE ME. Note the Kraft bottle below.  

This is what it looks like done. If you are making this ahead of time don't add the pasta and beans till the last 15 minutes or so.