Lunch: Veal and Pork Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy and Egg Noodles

Ingredients

2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1 1/4 pounds ground pork
1 1/4 pounds ground veal
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 cloves garlic, grated or made into a paste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
EVOO, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the meatballs: Soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl.
Put the pork and veal in a large bowl. Squeeze the liquid from the bread and mash it into small crumbs between your fingers as you add it to the bowl. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, eggs, parsley, a healthy drizzle of EVOO and some salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix gently to combine.
Keep a bowl of warm water on hand for rolling the meatballs. Place wire racks over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, moistening your hands as needed, and place on the racks (24 meatballs balls per rack). Bake until cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
For the mushroom gravy: Bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the dried mushrooms and simmer until soft.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and EVOO in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with Marsala, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Chop the reconstituted mushrooms and add to the gravy. Pour in most of the stock, reserving the last few spoonfuls, as grit may settle here. Stir in the cream and cook until the gravy thickens a bit. Add half the meatballs to the gravy. (Reserve the remaining meatballs for another meal, such as Stuffed Peppers with Broken Meatballs and Rice.)
Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the noodles and divide among plates. Top with the gravy and meatballs, and garnish with parsley.
Cook's Note: The meatballs and gravy can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat, covered, over medium heat while you cook the pasta. Add a ladle of the starchy cooking water to the gravy if needed to thin.

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