Spaghetti and Meatballs with Green Garlic Sauce

Yay green garlic! I love this stuff! I've been waiting for it to make another appearance in the veggie boxes so I could make it the star of a pasta sauce I've been dreaming up. And, since we got carrots AGAIN, I decided to chop up those tops and mix them into the meatballs. This is definitely not a "vegetable dish" but it's a nice way to use up some of the unconventional greens without resorting to making them disappear as just some more background noise while some other vegetables take center stage.

You will need 1 lbs of dried spaghetti noodles and:

Green Garlic Sauce

1 lbs green garlic, thinly sliced (about 3 medium sized stalks)

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup butter

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup white wine

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 egg

½ tsp salt

Meatballs

1 lbs ground beef

½ cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 cloves garlic

1 medium sized bunch of carrot tops or parsley

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

To make the meatballs, mince the garlic and the carrot tops. In a large skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and black pepper. Stir constantly. When the garlic just begins to brown, add the carrot tops. Stir constantly until the carrot tops are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and roll the mixture into small balls, using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for each meatball.

Using the same skillet (there's no need to wash it) heat up the olive oil and the butter for the sauce over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs, turning them over as they brown. When the meatballs are cooked through, about five minutes, remove them from the oil and let them drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. You will need to fry the meatballs in batches.

While the meatballs are cooking, begin preparing 1 pound of spaghetti noodles according to the package directions. Season the water with salt, garlic powder and a bay leaf.

When the meatballs are cooked, reduce the heat to low and add the green garlic to the oil. Stir occasionally until the garlic has softened, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the remaining sauce ingredients except for the egg. Stir occasionally until the alcohol has cooked off, about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.

When the sauce has stopped simmering, crack the egg into a medium bowl and beat it well. While continuing to beat the egg, slowly add about 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture and incorporate well. While stirring the sauce, add the egg mixture to the sauce and mix well. Don't worry if the sauce separates a little, once it's mixed with the spaghetti, no one will notice.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, and put them over very low heat. If it begins to simmer, turn the heat off.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the water from the pot, and then add the sauce and meatballs. Cook everything over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then move the pot to a cool burner.

Bon Apetit!