I love discovering new ingredients to play with. Part of the reason I find cooking so exciting and challenging is that there is an endless ocean of cuisine, recipes, ingredients, and food out there to sail though, and although sometimes the waters are choppy, it’s always a fun adventure.

I tried bison meat for the first time recently via it being on sale at my local grocer, and I was amazed by the taste. It really wasn’t gamey as I had expected it to be, but had a very rich, meaty flavor with a great natural earthiness to it. And then I found out it has half the calories and 1/8 the fat as normal beef, plus it’s always free-range. I was in love.

So pondering what to do with a pound of ground bison… meatballs naturally popped into my head. Spaghetti and meatballs is one of those comfort foods universally loved, like pizza or mac n cheese. So why not take on a classic. The meatballs are unbelievably tender and moist despite using such a naturally lean protein (something I was worried about), and the flavor is classically garlicky with parmesan.  My recipe for simple tomato sauce is one of those great things that you can make with pantry staples and it barely takes any time or attention. Plus it always tastes better than the jarred stuff – I guarandamntee it.

Panko.

Meatballs!

Peeking inside!

The mother of all canned tomatoes.

Bay leaf saying hello.

Marinara hot tub.

Spaghetti and meatballs!

Perfect pair.

That’s-a yummy meatball!

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Makes 21 meatballs and about 6 cups sauce.

This obviously makes enough to feed an army, but I always make a full recipe because meatballs freeze extremely well. All you have to do is let them thaw in the fridge a few hours before you want to use them and then heat them up in some sauce like you normally would. Also, if you’re not keen on bison meat, feel free to use a 50/50 mix of ground pork and beef, or white meat, like turkey and chicken. One warning about turkey and chicken – they’re extremely lean so adding a glug or two of olive oil to your mix is a good idea so they’re not rock hard.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb. ground bison meat
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano if you can find them)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dash dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Assembly:

• 1 lb dried spaghetti
• Grated parmesan

Directions

1.) Make the meatballs. Preheat your oven to 350° F with the rack set in the center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2.) In a small mixing bowl, combine the panko and milk and let sit for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the meatball ingredients and add the panko/milk mixture. Mix gently with your hands until just barely combined, overmixing will toughen the meatballs. Form into 1-inch meatballs and set on prepared baking sheet.

3.) Bake 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time, until cooked through and browned, or until an internal thermometer reads 155° F. Set the meatballs aside while you prepare the sauce.

4.) Get the pasta ready. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt very well (it should taste like a mouthful of ocean water). Cook the spaghetti while you make the sauce. Strain and keep a towel over the pasta so it stays hot while everything finishes.

5.) Make the sauce. In the bowl of a food processor, mince the garlic cloves in a few short pulses. Remove the garlic and set aside. Add the entire can of tomatoes with their juices. Pulse a few times until almost completely pureed, but not liquid.

6.) In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes, thyme, bay leaf, and pour in the tomatoes. Season to taste and cook covered for about 10 minutes until slightly reduced. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end if you like the flavor.

7.) Add the meatballs to the sauce a few minutes before serving so they heat through. Once ready, remove the bay leaf and ladle sauce and meatballs over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle more parmesan and chopped parsley over the top and serve with a nice green salad and good red wine.

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