The Art of Spaghetti Tacos: A Binging with Babish Adventure
As we begin our culinary journey today, we're going to take a unique approach to one of your favorite comfort foods: spaghetti. That's right; we're talking about spaghetti tacos! But don't be alarmed; this isn't just any ordinary taco. We'll be incorporating the classic Italian dish into a Mexican-inspired shell, and trust me, it's going to be a game-changer.
To start off, we need some essential ingredients. And by that, I mean our secret sauce and meatballs. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Where are these meatballs?" Well, they're about to meet their demise courtesy of my stomach acid! But don't worry; we'll get to making those meatballs in a minute.
First things first, let's make a simple tomato sauce. This is where the magic begins. We'll start with fresh basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, half a small onion, and canned San Marzano tomatoes. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Babish, this sounds like a lot of prep work." And you're right; it is. But trust me, the end result will be worth it.
To begin, we'll mince the basil and chop the garlic. The easiest way to do that is to crush the clove using the side of the knife and roughly chop. Sorry if this sounds a bit repetitive; we've done all this before, but sometimes you need a refresher. Then, we'll mince the onion and get ready to heat up our stovetop.
We're in a deep saute pan now, heating about two tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Adding the onions, we'll sauté for three to five minutes until they're soft and translucent. Then, it's time to add our sauce enhancers: one teaspoon of red pepper flake, one teaspoon of oregano, four cloves of chopped garlic, and four tablespoons of tomato paste. This is where things get interesting; we'll help give the sauce a little bit more of that slow-cooked taste.
Now, let's add our San Marzano tomatoes to the pan and stir everything together. The aroma alone will make your mouth water! Now, it's time to talk about those meatballs. We'll make them from scratch using ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but trust me; they're essential.
To mix everything together, we'll start by combining the ground beef in a bowl. Then, we'll add our breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix until just combined. Don't overmix it, or your meatballs will end up tough. Once that's done, we'll shape our mixture into small balls and set them aside for later.
Now that we have our sauce and meatballs ready, let's assemble our spaghetti tacos. First, we need a shell. And by that, I mean an empty taco shell. We'll fill it with a generous serving of pasta, followed by some deep-fried meatballs, and finally, top it all off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
But before we get to the good stuff, let's talk about how to make this thing work. You see, when you put carbs on top of carbs, it can be a bit tricky to balance out the flavors. That's why I decided to add a special touch: a parmesan crisp! It may seem like a lot of extra work, but trust me; it makes all the difference.
To make a parmesan crisp, we'll start by grating a few ounces of Parmesan cheese and introducing them to a preheated non-stick skillet. We'll let it sit undisturbed for about two minutes until the edges start turning golden brown. Then, we'll give it a quick flip and cook for another minute just to solidify the cheese on the inside.
Once our parmesan crisp is ready, we'll place it over our spaghetti tacos. And that's when things get really interesting. The crunch of the crispy Parmesan will complement the soft pasta perfectly, creating a flavor combination that will blow your mind!