Winter Spaghetti with Marinara and Chorizo Meatballs

It’s frustrating to make pasta in the winter when bunches of fresh basil aren’t readily available. I crafted a delicious, hearty sauce with dried herbs to help satisfy your pasta cravings on cold, wintery nights. Parsnip (my fav!) and carrot in the sauce add some natural sweetness, which goes wonderfully with the almost nutty dried herb flavor. The meatballs that I paired with this sauce are very easy as well, just be warned that they take some time to cool in the fridge. If you can, I recommend using fresh herbs for the meatballs--they will add brightness to the dish, and lighten everything up.

Winter Spaghetti with Marinara and Chorizo Meatballs

(serves 4)

(Inspired by recipe by Gizzi Erskine)

For the Meatballs

{ ½ lb. of pork /  ¼ lb. of chorizo sausage / 1 small onion, finely chopped /

2 cloves garlic, finely minced / 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley /

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary / 2 Tablespoons olive oil / salt / pepper }

For the Sauce

{ 2 Tablespoons olive oil / 1 small onion, diced / 3 garlic cloves, minced /

2 small carrots, finely chopped / 1 parsnip, finely chopped / 

1 Tablespoon tomato paste / 1 can crushed tomatoes / 1 teaspoon dried oregano /

1 Tablespoon dried basil / 1 bay leaf / ¼ cup red wine / salt / pepper }

1 lb. of spaghetti or other pasta / freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

To Make the Meatballs:

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sweat the onion and garlic in the pan until golden (4-5 minutes). Mix the minced meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs in a bowl. Form the mixture into balls- a little smaller than golf ball size. Cover the balls and stick them in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour—if you skip this step, they could come apart when you try to fry them.

For the Sauce:

While the meatballs are chilling, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil on medium high heat and sweat the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the carrot and parsnip, and cover. After 5 minutes, uncover, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste, and stir the mixture. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the oregano, basil, bay leaf, and bring to a simmer.  Turn the heat to low and continue to cook, covered, until the sauce thickens, around 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, uncover the sauce and the wine, (of course this step is optional but it really adds some delicious flavor). Bring the sauce to a simmer once more to allow the alcohol to evaporate. At this point, you can stick an emersion blender in the pot, or stick the sauce in a blender to purée it. Let the blended sauce cook on low while you fry the meatballs. (Now might be a good time to start boiling the pasta water.)

Once the meatballs have been in the fridge for at least an hour, fry them in a pan with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, until they are brown and cooked through. This will take 10-12 minutes. Add them to the sauce, and heat the mixture for another 7 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti when it is perfectly al dente; top it with a few meatballs, sauce, and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.