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Bonnie’s Italian Stew

Bonnie's Italian Stew
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
45 min
Yields
6 servings

Bonnie is a lady I met in Pittsburgh, PA and this recipe is based on her enthusiastic description of a family favorite passed down to her. It’s meat and potatoes Italian style – meatballs and potatoes in red sauce with green beans. YUM-O! Bonnie cooks the meatballs as dumplings in in sauce. I brown mine a bit in the oven first to make them a little more stable for a make ahead meal – they won’t break up as easily with a crust on them when you reheat them.

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ingredients

Meatballs

Whole milk, enough to just cover bread
2
slices good-quality white bread, 1 inch slices, crust trimmed
1 ½
pounds ground beef
½
cup pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, for serving
3
Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1
tsp fennel seed
1
tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
1
large egg
1
Generous handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray

Stew

2
Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2
pounds white potatoes, small to medium, cubed
12
oz green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds on an angle
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese for serving
4
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1
fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3
Tbsp tomato paste
1
- 2 cups beef stock
2
cans Italian tomatoes, about 28 oz. each
1
handful fresh basil leaves, torn
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directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Step 2

Pour the milk over bread and soak to soften.

Step 3

Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, fennel, crushed red pepper, garlic, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.

Step 4

Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and crumble into crumbs as you add it to the meat. Combine the meatball mix and roll into 2-inch balls. Place the meatballs on nonstick baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and roast until browned but not fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bay, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant. Add the beef stock and tomatoes, then break up the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the basil, potatoes and meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium, partially cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 7 to 8 minutes more.

Step 6

Serve, or cool completely and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium-low flame, partially covered, stirring occasionally (or reheat in a 325ºF oven) until sauce is bubbly.

Step 7

To serve, top shallow bowls of stew with cheese and an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

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My rating for Bonnie’s Italian Stew
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