Baked Fettuccine with Meatballs, French Style

Baked Fettuccine with Meatballs, French Style

You may realize by now, in the winter I enjoy hearty repasts, but I choose not to be a slave to my kitchen.  My routine is simple. Make ‘em.  Stick ‘em in the oven. Drink heavily until it’s time to eat. 

I already shared a Baked Ziti recipe with you, but for the New Year I’ve got another that’s just as tasty and works with the same simple routine. Chances are most of these ingredients are already in your garage kitchen.

https://stroudallover.blogspot.de/2017/12/baked-ziti-easy-lasagna-alternative.html

This time we’re going to take some pasta and make it speak French, n’est pas?  So grab your Fettuccine or your close friend’s Fettuccine and let’s pack those noodles in your favorite oven. Easy recipe.  Not many ingredients. None of them are exotic or toxic, and the whole mess comes with instructions from yours truly, Chef Guillaume de Stroudé.

Baked Fettuccine with Meatballs, French Style

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Butter a 9 X 13 inch baking dish

For the sauce: 

28 oz can whole tomatoes, un-drained

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon Herbes de Provence

salt and pepper as desired

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended, set aside.

For the meatballs:

1 Pound freshly ground beef or pork or a combo

1 Egg

1 Cup breadcrumbs (no breadcrumbs?  Throw some stale bread or crackers in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to do some pounding)

½ Cup diced onions

A dash each of:

Salt, white pepper, chili powder, black pepper, Herbes de Provence

Mix all ingredients, then form the meat into any size balls you prefer and lightly brown in a skillet. Do not worry that they are not completely cooked as they will bake for 40-45 minutes.  Put your thumb and forefinger together and that’s about the size meatballs I used.

Prepare the noodles:

1 Pound package of dried Fettuccine (Boil in salted water about 9 minutes instead of the usual 12-13 minutes, then drain and put in a large bowl.)

Next:

5 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 Eggs, scrambled

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

5 Cups shredded Gruyere Cheese, 1 ½ Cups reserved

Need this, but don’t mix it yet. 2 Cups small curd cottage cheese, divided in two.

Whip the the butter, eggs, and 3 1/2 Cups of Gruyere together.  Add to the bowl of noodles and mix well.

Putting it all together:

Put half the noodle mixture in the baking dish, spread one cup of cottage cheese, then about half the tomato sauce, sprinkle on half the remaining Gruyere cheese and put on half the meatballs.  Make a second layer in the same manner, with the meatballs on top. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.

Slide the baking dish in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until bubbling and beginning to brown on top.

See how easy that was!  But, to make the process go even faster, you can make everything hours before you bake it.

So, why do I say this is French style?  Lots more butter than anyone else in the world uses, plus the use of Gruyere Cheese instead of Italian alternatives, as well as herbes de Provence.   And you're saying, "Yeah, but the noodles..." Oh, be quiet!  The French eat pasta, but they say: manger des pâtes.

Here’s wishing both my faithful readers a very Happy New Year! Or as we like to say in Oui! Oui! Land, Bonne Année!