MEATBALLS:
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
½ onion, grated
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
CASSEROLE:
1 cup beef broth
1 pint heavy cream
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2½ cups small/medium shell noodles or other egg noodles*
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Scoop mixture out in 1½ tablespoons and roll into balls.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Remove to a plate. (They’ll finish cooking in the oven.)
While meatballs cook, boil a large pot of salted water and cook noodles for 2 minutes less than package instructions.
In the skillet the meatballs were seared in, add broth, heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce, scraping any stuck-on bits on the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thicker, about 10 minutes, and remove from heat.
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Add pasta to dish and nestle meatballs into noodles. Pour sauce evenly over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Let set 5 minutes before serving with chopped parsley.
*TEST KITCHEN NOTE: Depending on the noodle you use, this amount may need to be adjusted, as heavier noodles yield more volume once cooked. We used a 12-ounce package of extra wide egg noodles, which yielded a balanced meat-to-noodle ratio in the casserole.
Recipe by Sara Vollmer, Capital Electric Cooperative
