Meatballs and Tomato Sauce over Cabbage Noodles

Source

Ingredients

Display units in Metric

		For Meatballs
1	lb.	80% lean ground beef
1		egg
1	teaspoon	dried parsley
¹⁄₂	teaspoon	dried oregano
2	tablespoons	parmesan cheese
¹⁄₄	cup	milk
¹⁄₄	cup	oatmeal
2	tablespoons	granulated garlic
1	teaspoon	salt
¹⁄₂	teaspoon	pepper
		For Sauce
6	cups	chopped tomatoes in juice I used 2 quarts home-canned
6	6 oz	can or jar tomato paste
1	large	onion diced
3	tablespoons	olive oil
6		garlic cloves minced
1		bay leaf
1	teaspoon	oregano
¹⁄₂	teaspoon	crushed rosemary laves
¹⁄₄	teaspoon	crushed thyme leaves
¹⁄₄	teaspoon	red pepper flakes
		salt to taste
		For Cabbage
1	small	head of cabbage quartered, cored, and sliced very thinly
		drippings from cooking meatballs plus additional olive oil as needed

For Sauce

One hour before you plan to serve dinner prepare sauce. In a medium sauce pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute several minutes or until they begin to wilt. Add garlic and saute one more minute. Add diced tomatoes in juice and tomato paste followed by herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer and then turn heat to low. Allow to simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes before starting meatballs.

For Meatballs

In a medium bowl beat egg. Add herbs, salt, pepper, oatmeal, milk, garlic, and parmesan cheese and combine well with a fork. Allow to sit five minutes to hydrate the oatmeal. Add ground beef, breaking it up with your fingers as you add. Gently fold beef into oatmeal-egg mixture with a fork. Do not over mix or squish all together with your hands. Once all ingredients are combined evenly begin heating a large skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and allow to heat for a few minutes.

Once pan is hot begin making meatballs that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You will end up with about 16 meatballs when all is said and done. Place eight in your skillet, spaced evenly and brown darkly on the first side. Turn and repeat. (You are just browning these, they will cook all the way through in the sauce.)

Once done browning, add the first batch to your sauce, stirring gently to cover. Then repeat browning with the second batch. Once second batch is done you can either remove the first batch or simply add the second batch to the sauce as well, being sure to get the new ones covered in sauce.

Once the skillet is emptied of meatballs add your sliced cabbage, half at a time if the pan isn't big enough. Saute a few minutes with a pinch of salt and then cover and allow to steam for at least five minutes, or until cabbage is mostly tender. Repeat with remaining cabbage if necessary.

Serve by filling plates with cabbage and then topping with three meatballs each. Cover with sauce and serve with parmesan cheese if desired.

For Sauce
One hour before you plan to serve dinner prepare sauce. In a medium sauce pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute several minutes or until they begin to wilt. Add garlic and saute one more minute. Add diced tomatoes in juice and tomato paste followed by herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer and then turn heat to low. Allow to simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes before starting meatballs.
For Meatballs
In a medium bowl beat egg. Add herbs, salt, pepper, oatmeal, milk, garlic, and parmesan cheese and combine well with a fork. Allow to sit five minutes to hydrate the oatmeal. Add ground beef, breaking it up with your fingers as you add. Gently fold beef into oatmeal-egg mixture with a fork. Do not over mix or squish all together with your hands. Once all ingredients are combined evenly begin heating a large skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and allow to heat for a few minutes.
Once pan is hot begin making meatballs that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You will end up with about 16 meatballs when all is said and done. Place eight in your skillet, spaced evenly and brown darkly on the first side. Turn and repeat. (You are just browning these, they will cook all the way through in the sauce.)
Once done browning, add the first batch to your sauce, stirring gently to cover. Then repeat browning with the second batch. Once second batch is done you can either remove the first batch or simply add the second batch to the sauce as well, being sure to get the new ones covered in sauce.
Once the skillet is emptied of meatballs add your sliced cabbage, half at a time if the pan isn't big enough. Saute a few minutes with a pinch of salt and then cover and allow to steam for at least five minutes, or until cabbage is mostly tender. Repeat with remaining cabbage if necessary.
Serve by filling plates with cabbage and then topping with three meatballs each. Cover with sauce and serve with parmesan cheese if desired.

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