Peppers are an item that is wonderful, but I thought it was useful to make a sauce using roasted peppers that eats like a pasta sauce. This can be frozen and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This Romesco and meatballs pasta dish is a great way to use tons of peppers. Its essentially a pepper pesto sauce that can be used not only as a pasta sauce but also a dressing and spread.
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
1 package Trustees Sweet Sausage
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
1/8 cup parmesan, grated
pinch of salt and pepper
For the Romesco Sauce:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded, and peeled
6 garlic cloves
4 ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
¼ cup scallions, chopped
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup roasted hazelnut
¼ cup roasted slivered almonds
½ cup olive oil
Salt, pepper, sugar to taste
To Serve:
1-pound dried spaghetti
Garnish with more Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Step 1
Whisk eggs and milk together in a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and let soak for about 10 minutes. Add in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to form a paste. Add in the sausage and combine with hands until the seasonings are well blended with the sausage.
Step 2
Form meatballs by scooping out about 2 oz portions of the meat mixture and roll into a tight sphere. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 30 minutes or until browned.
Step 3
Place the romesco ingredients into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree. Puree until smooth and season with salt, pepper, sugar.
Step 4
In a skillet on medium heat add the baked meatballs and simmer in the romesco sauce. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions and cook al dente. Drain pasta reserving a cup of pasta water. Add the drain pasta and 1 cup of pasta water back into the pan and add 2 large ladles of romesco sauce. Toss to coat pasta, add more sauce if desired. Garnish pasta with parmesan cheese and serve with meatballs.