Spicy Calabrian Chili Pasta + Meatballs
Saturday night pasta. Sometimes there’s nothing better. When it’s (almost) October, there’s nothing better than Saturday night pasta with a Halloween twist. So as we kick off spooky season and really settle into our home Halloween decor + all the holiday vibes, a dinner that felt on theme felt fun. To put it more bluntly, a meal where we’re doing fun Halloween stuff to our food was the non-negotiable for me. It’s my favorite shit! And on this occasion, we turned meatballs into eyeballs with this Spicy Calabrian Chili Pasta + Meatballs. The eyeballs were cute. They did the job of setting a Halloween tone. But this pasta, particularly this sauce - SO TASTY. Our first time playing with Calabrian chilis, which is perfect for us because we love spicy food and my taste test of the chilis themself lit me up….a lot. So the spice was on par, and it mellowed out with a bit of creamy + cheese to have the perfect kick. Not too spicy, still a classic red sauce vibe, and my ultimate take-away is a great go to when you want a classic tomato sauce with just a little pizzazz.
We’re dipping our toe into Halloween festivities and all the festive feels, and also just ending Jordan’s birthday season which this year as light 2 week bender. Kicked things off with a quick couple trip to Victoria with for a couple days, then Kacey Musgraves concert with a side of restaurant exploring in Seattle, and finally the doy of event. Ate hot dogs, played pinball, and had so much fun doing that on a Monday that we did the same exact thing with 2 of our friends on Friday. And in the midst of all that we’ve been dabbling in the Halloween season - pre birthday & post birthday. Getting decorations up in the house, roaming the aisles as Home Goods for some new decor (which was a real thrill), and even making some new items of our own. All of that fits right in for Jordan - a guy who will tell you loves Halloween and all scary things associated. It’s been a really fun few days to see him enjoy his birthday & let loose. From being our flower guru in Victoria to rocking out at Kacey to just having fun at the Triple Knock (twice), I was glad I got to see him check the worries at the door and thoroughly enjoy life in the moment. But real talk the pinball bar is so lit and more pit-stops at this place is a new MUST for date-nights on the town.
But back to the at-home, Halloween adjacent date-night at our house this weekend, making Halloween shaped food was a must for me. It’s pretty much my favorite thing of the season, and this go around I was determined to transform some average meatballs into eyeballs. And it turns out all I needed for that little adventure was cheese and olives. Easy enough + tasted great. Did have some issues with the eye sliding off of the meatball as we melted everything together, but nothing a little determination and finagling can’t push passed. It was fun, it was cute, and it was our first Halloween “eat” of the season, and I remain grateful my husband puts up with this bull shit.
Quick few tips:
Go heavy with the chili paste if you like spice. We used heaping spoonfuls, and I think next time we’d add an extra teaspoon.
Skip the half & half and go straight to heavy cream. I usually love using half and half in place of heavy cream, but it just doesn’t do the trick here. The h-duty stuff was needed for the right consistency and getting a nice, creamy color to the sauce.
Love keeping it meatless! I use riced cauliflower to sneak in some added veggies & texture, and the Impossible Meatballs are a favorite little treat for pasta. Those are what we used!
For the pasta
4 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
about 1 1/4 c. riced cauliflower
salt + pepper
1/4 c. tomato paste
2 heaping tbsp calabrian chili paste (I used one from Trader Joe’s)
1/2 c. white wine
2-14 ounce cans diced tomatoes, one pureed
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-3 roasted red bell pappers, thinly sliced
1/2 c. to 1 c. heavy cream - depending on taste
1/2 c. grated parmesan
Good quality noodles! Fettuccine, Tagliatelle, or Pappardelle are perfect
For the meatballs
1 package of Impossible Meat frozen meatballs
6 mozzarella pearls, halved
green or black olives, sliced
Start by placing a large pot of salted water over medium low heat, and cover.
On a separate burner, place a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add in the butter. When melted, add in the onions and fennel. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add in the garlic, cook for a minute, and then add in the riced cauliflower. Season with a pinch of salt + pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tomato paste, and stir to get all the veggies coated. Then add in the calabrian chilis, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add in the wine. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add in the cans of tomato + red peppers. Bring to a simmer, stir in the oregano. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the sauce cook for 12-15 minutes.
Crank the heat under the pasta water to high. When boiling, add in the noodles and cook to al dente, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water to the sauce before draining..
Oven roast the meatballs to package instruction. When the meatballs have finished roasting according to package instruction, remove them from the oven. Top each meatball with half a mozzarella piece and a slice of olive. Bake for another 4-5 minutes, and option to turn on the broiler or convection feature for 1-2 minutes to crisp them up. Watch carefully as to not burn the meatballs.
Return to the pasta sauce. Add in the cream + parmesan, stirring to melt. Add in the pasta water, and bring the sauce back to simmer for 3-4 minutes - enough to thicken back up. Toss the cooked noodles with the pasta sauce. Plate the pasta, and garnish with any extra parmesan + the cooked meatballs - arranging the meatballs for the olive is facing up to mimic that eyeball image. Eat + enjoy!