Full of artisanal ingredients like extra-virgin
olive oil, imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and more, the Bertolli Riserva Italian
Sauces are inspired by Bertolli’s founder, Francesco Bertolli, and pretty much
transport you back to Francesco’s home of the sunburnt rolling Tuscan hills and
aromas of Italian cuisine sneaking from the kitchen windows. The Bertolli
Riserva Sauce that caught my eye: Porcini Mushroom with White Truffle Oil.
The shade-grown
porcini mushrooms are enhanced by the decadence of the white truffle oil to create
a seriously indulgent and rich taste and aroma that quite literally spilled out
of my kitchen. If I were Italian, and I’m not, I’d imagine the simmering sauce
to be something of a staple in my Italian grandmother’s kitchen. It beckons to
be dished out to friends and family at the dinner table, so that’s what I
intended to do—fettuccine with spinach and turkey meatballs in a porcini
mushroom sauce.
Because the sauce is
practically fool proof—simply add to a sauce pan and simmer—I decided to go
with another old stand by: turkey meatballs. Using a trusted ‘ol recipe from
Bon Appetit that I’ve had a bit of previous experience with, I mixed my egg,
onion, minced garlic, frozen chopped spinach that was thawed and squeezed to
remove all moisture, some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, about ½ cup of plain
breadcrumbs, some parsley and finally, the ground turkey, in a bowl.
I formed the mixture into balls and placed them on a baking sheet to
eventually broil until browned—about 15 minutes in the oven.
After they looked
golden brown and delicious, I placed them into the simmering Porcini Mushroom
Sauce compliments of Bertolli. In a separate boiling pan I cooked the
fettuccine, added that to the sauce and meatballs and served delicately with
extra Parmigiano Reggiano.
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