Veal and Sage Meatballs and Pasta with Gorgonzola-Walnut Sauce

By á-6055

Ingredients

• 1 pound gemelli pasta or other short cut pasta
• Salt
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 to 8 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 //2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 3 cups arugula or baby spinach, cleaned & trimmed

Details

Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Place water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt the water & cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, place veal in a mixing bowl and add to it the egg, garlic, sage, bread crumbs, cheese, nutmeg and salt & pepper to taste.
Drizzle a little olive oil into the bowl, mix and roll small 1-inch balls.
Arrange balls in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until meat is golden and firm.

Toast the walnuts and place them into a food processor. Grind the walnuts and reserve.

In a deep skillet over medium heat melt butter. Whisk flour into butter and cook a minute then whisk in wine and reduce by half.
Whisk in stock, when it bubbles and begins to reduce, stir in the cream and reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer to thicken the sauce a bit, 2 to 3 minutes, melt in the Gorgonzola and stir in the ground walnuts then season the sauce with salt & pepper to taste.

Shred the greens into thin strips

Toss the pasta with the sauce. Serve pasta garnished and topped with a generous mound of greens to mix in as you are eating.