Lunch: Spaghetti and Waffled Meatballs

Recipe by Daniel Shumsky Waffling the meatballs creates little pockets that collect the sauce beautifully.

Ingredients

4 clove garlic
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 can whole plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. spaghetti

Instructions

To make this all come together, begin preparing the sauce first, so it can simmer, and let the water come to a boil while you work on the meatballs. Then you can cook the meatballs and the pasta at the same time. (Or cook the meatballs first and keep them warm in the preheated oven while you cook the pasta.) Make the marinara sauce: Cut each clove of garlic in half and flatten it with the flat side of a knife blade, pressing down with your palm to crush the garlic. Remove the garlic peel. (It should come off easily.)
Place the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the crushed garlic cloves in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 3 minutes.
While the garlic is cooking, partially drain the tomatoes by pouring off only the liquid at the top of the can. Use a fork or kitchen shears to rip the tomatoes into large, uneven chunks in the can.
Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes to the saucepan, taking care to guard against splashing as the tomatoes meet the hot oil.
Cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, 45 minutes. You should be left with a thick, somewhat chunky sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper.
Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Preheat the waffle iron on medium. Preheat the oven on its lowest setting.
While the sauce simmers and the pasta water comes to a boil, make the meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, except for the cooking spray, and mix well.
Form the mixture into 16 balls and place on a cutting board covered with waxed or parchment paper.
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Coat both sides of the waffle iron grid with nonstick spray. Place as many meatballs as will fit on the waffle iron, leaving a bit of space for each to expand when flattened.
Close the lid and cook until the meatballs are browned on the outside and cooked through, 6 minutes. You may have to cut into one to make sure that no traces of pink remain. If you have an instant-read thermometer, beef should be at least 160 degrees F and turkey should be at least 165 degrees F.
Remove the meatballs from the waffle iron. Repeat Steps 11 and 12 to cook the remaining meatballs. If the other components are not ready yet, keep the meatballs warm in the preheated oven.
Serve a generous portion of pasta with 4 waffled meatballs, topped sparingly with sauce. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and dust with Parmesan. Serve extra sauce at the table.

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