Ingredients
.5 lb ground turkey or ground pork
.5 lb rigatoni
3 C cherry tomatoes
1 egg
1 C Panko crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 to 2 T tomato paste
1 T fresh thyme
.25 C grated Parmesan cheese
Salt + black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Method
Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly toss the cherry tomatoes in a large bowl with olive oil, a light sprinkling of coarse salt, half of the garlic and half of the herbs. Roast tomatoes for about 30 to 35 minutes then remove from the oven to rest.
While the tomatoes are in the oven: In a medium bowl, combine ground meat with egg, Panko crumbs, the remaining garlic and shallot and fresh herbs. Mix until just combined, then gather about 3 T of mixture together, using a pair of soup spoons or a small scoop. Gingerly roll the mixture around your lightly greased hands to make a ball that holds together, but don’t pack tightly.
Add the formed meatballs to a preheated saucepan over medium heat and add 2 T olive oil to pan – and if you like it hot, add a light sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Add the meatballs to the pan, leaving at least a quarter-inch between each meatball. Brown the meatballs on all sides, then transfer to a platter and set aside.
Add the roasted tomatoes into the pan with the tomato paste and the remaining garlic and fresh herbs, and season to taste, tossing to prevent sticking. Add the meatballs and reduce heat to low. Simmer over low heat for about 10 to 20 minutes.
About halfway thru that time, begin to bring 6 C of salted water to boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Reserving 1 C of pasta water, drain the pasta.
Add the pasta into the meat sauce, then add about .5 C of the reserved pasta water, and stir to combine. Allow the flavors to “marry” over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pasta and sauce to a serving dish and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Serve and enjoy!