Pasta bowl with meatballs

Votes: 2

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8 - 10

This impressive pasta bowl will be a true centerpiece for any holiday table and the main dish of dinner. A crisp bowl of capellini (angel hair) pasta is filled with homemade marinara sauce and juicy, firm beef meatballs. To prevent sogginess, the bowl is lined with slices of Italian prosciutto ham before filling. Garnish the filling with a couple of scoops of creamy burrata and a fresh sprig of basil. This pasta bowl can be sliced and enjoyed like a pie.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Paste

900 g of capellini pasta (angel hair)
Olive oil to grease the bowl or for the pasta
Special equipment: metal bowl with a diameter of 32 cm; metal bowl with a diameter of 27 cm.

Marinara sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 x 800g cans of peeled whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 small bunch of basil, leaves chopped

Meatballs

450 g of ground beef
0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 large egg

Topping

220 g thin slices of prosciutto
2 balls of burrata
Olive oil to drizzle
1 large sprig of fresh basil

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: capellini pasta, meatballs, tomatoes, cheese, eggs, milk, thyme, basil, breadcrumbs, prosciutto, marinara sauce

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Paste:

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Place the pasta on a baking sheet and let cool until handled, about 10 minutes.

Grease the inside of a large metal bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place the pasta in the bowl and spread it out evenly, allowing it to rise up the sides of the bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Grease the outside of a small metal bowl and place it in the other bowl on top of the pasta, pressing firmly to compress the pasta.

Bake until the edges of the macarons are golden, about 1 hour. Remove the smaller bowl and continue baking until golden, about 1 more hour. Let cool for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the macarons to a large rimmed serving platter.
Marinara sauce:

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and onion, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme sprigs, and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. Season with 2 tablespoons salt and pepper.
Meatballs:

In a bowl, combine the ground beef, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, egg, salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Form the meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Line the inside of a pasta bowl with the topping: slices of prosciutto, spoon the sauce over the meatballs, and top with the burrata balls. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with a sprig of basil.