Ground Meat over Orecchiette Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 c finely chopped onion
- 1 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 lb ground beef (could also use veal or chicken or turkey)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/4 c chicken stock (or white wine)
- 3/4 c chicken stock
- 1/2 t finely chopped thyme
- 1/4 t finely chopped rosemary
- 1/2 T fresh lemon juice (or 1 T capers, rinsed)
- 170 g pasta (orecchiette recommended, or small shells)
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
- 2 T chopped parsley (flat leaf)
- 1 T butter (unsalted)
Method
First, do your prep work.
Chop the onion, mince the garlic; set aside, together.
Measure out 1/4 cup stock; set aside.
Measure out 3/4 cup stock; chop and add the thyme and rosemary; measure and add the lemon juice; set aside.
Measure out the pasta, and put a lot of water in a large pot to cook the pasta in.
Grate your parmesan cheese, chop and add the parsley, measure and add the butter; set aside.
Start the heat on the pasta water to bring it to a boil.
Now, start cooking.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the veal, season with salt and pepper and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veal is no longer pink and any liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
Add the 1/4 cup chicken stock to the skillet and boil over high heat until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, and lemon juice; simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta well and add it to the skillet along with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, chopped parsley and butter. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowls and serve right away.
Notes
Notes from source: The veal sauce can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Rewarm the veal sauce before serving.
SJ Note 14 May 2010: This needs more flavor. Maybe using capers and wine instead of the lemon juice and chicken stock I substituted makes a big enough difference, that wouldn't surprise me. I added more (super fresh!) rosemary, since I had some to hand, and we added plenty of salt and pepper, but it just didn't measure up in the end. Ah, well - win some, lose some.