Salsa Roja! Albondigas!

Salsa Roja! Albondigas! Red Sauce and meatballs! Two of my favorite foods to enjoy together. Mix in some pasta and you have a complete meal. Oh! Did I mention there was homemade bread too? With meals like this, I will enjoy a little bit of homemade bread without the guilt, lol! Everything in moderation, I say. My first memories of enjoying pasta was fideo, of course. Did you you know that the oldest brand of Mexican pasta is over 100 years old? Many of us grew up with La Moderna sopitas and many of us still love it to this day.

Pasta and meatballs are not a trend in Mexican cooking.

I remember last year someone asked me why were there so many Hispanic recipes for pasta all of the sudden? I was a bit confused at their question. As I mentioned above that La Moderna has been pumping out those iconic pasta shapes for over 100 years. I will be 60 years old in two years! Wow, that’s up there! Lol! I have been enjoying sopa of all kinds since I could eat. Honestly, I try to limit my pasta and bread intake these days to maintain my weight. But I love both!

I honestly can’t remember the first time mom prepared the American version of spaghetti and meatballs.

She knew we loved pasta in a tomato base and she knew we loved albondigas. I can only imagine as she transitioned from life in Monterrey, Mexico to Los Angeles, California she wanted to try new recipes. A few dishes that stand out that she included in her meals were beef stew, chop suey, sloppy joes, spaghetti with meat sauce, baked potato casserole and her wonderful thanksgiving dinner! The rest of the time we enjoyed mostly simple Mexican dishes with the occasional burger combo from Lucky Boys or Tom’s! I miss those days.

I am so happy to be able to include video play by play in my new post!

I know some of you have expressed to me that you can follow recipes better with a visual. Especially when you are not familiar with a recipe or a cooking method, it’s much easier to watch how it comes together. The salsa roja for this recipe does include some chile de arbol for some added heat, but you could eliminate it for a mild variation. I always suggest to my followers preparing a spicy salsa on the side for those who like there meals with a little heat. This way the recipe is kid friendly.

Use what you have on hand! Mix it up!

On this day I had some tasty vine ripe tomatoes, along with some Roma tomatoes. Typically I only purchase Romas, but when it comes to salads, I enjoy the vine ripe tomatoes. The combination of the two made for a great red sauce. Roasted poblanos in the sauce and the end adds different flavor and texture all around. In a pinch, roasted sweet peppers are delicious in this sauce as well. I’m not afraid of using garlic anymore these days. Cooking the garlic mellows out the strong flavor and I love it!

Do you chill your albondigas?

In the recent past I had a few followers comment that their albondigas fall apart while they are cooking in the sauce or broth. Honestly I have never had this happen. Only when I had stuffed them with cheese once or twice, they opened up slightly, exposing the cheese. But, that just made it more fun and appetizing for me. I make a habit of chilling the albondigas for at least 1 hour before I cook them and it seems to help. The other tip is to not stir them for at least 10-12 minutes after you add them to sauce or in broth. Try those tips next time and let me know how they work for you.

Not a fan of tomato bouillon or bouillon in general?

It’s ok! It just enhances the flavors, but it’s not a deal breaker when it comes to preparing tasty meals. In this case if I wanted to skip the tomato bouillon, I could add a few tablespoons of tomato paste or even a seasoned tomato sauce. There are different Mexican brands like El Pato or Del Fuerte. I do encourage you to used the dried chiles instead of powders because the texture and flavors are a little different in the end. But, if that’s alI I had, I would make it work by adding a thickening agent such as a little flour fried in the oil with my garlic and onions.

So, when will your next salsa roja with albondigas night be?

I wish it was going to be tonight! Lol! My next sauce and meatballs recipe will be the verde version very soon. Have you ever attempted preparing homemade pasta? In years past, I have and I really enjoyed it.

Pizza Bread???

Several years back, I enjoyed eating at a local wood fire pizza restaurant. Not only pizzas, but they prepared the most delicious salads and homemade rustic bread. Turns out it was just fresh dough from the pizza they used to bake their fresh pizza bread. So, of course I had to try it myself. I have been using this same pizza dough recipe for many years. It’s pretty simple and basic and it works wonderful for this fresh bread. Delicious with pasta and red sauce, oh and meatballs!

I had just received a copy of my newest cookbook, Love in the Shape of a Tortilla the day I prepared this recipe. Let’s get Cooking! Enjoy!

Salsa Roja! Albondigas! Red Sauce! Meatballs!

Two of my favorite foods! Salsa Roja and albondigas with a Mexican twist! A hearty and delicious meal!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican-Style

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 48 minutes minutes

Chill Meatballs: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Guajillo Tomato Sauce

• 1/3 c olive oil plus more if needed
• 12 cloves of garlic 36 gr
• 1/2 small white onion 80 gr
• 4 ripe Roma tomatoes 328 gr
• 2 large ripe vine ripe tomatoes 366 gr
• 4 chile de arbol stems removed
• 4 chile guajillo stems and seeds removed
• 2 cups of water
• 2-3 tsps tomato bouillon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 tsp oregano crushed
• 2 poblano peppers previously roasted, cleaned and diced

Albondigas-Meatballs

• 1 lb ground sirloin or chuck
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp dried onion or 3/4 tsp ground onion powder
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 tsp crushed oregano
• 1/3 c panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsps parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions

Albondigas

• In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients. Roll 12 equal meatballs, making sure you don't compact them too much. A looser meatball is more tender. Transfer to a plate, cover with plastic and chill for 1 hour. Chilling the meatballs will prevent them from falling apart.
• When ready, cook meatballs in 2 tbsps of olive oil. If using sirloin, it's lean, so you need the oil. If using a fattier beef, no oil required. Brown meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side.
• Pour sauce from below into pot with meatballs. Stir well to combine. When it comes up to a simmer, let it cook for 5 minutes, then taste for salt. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes. Mix in crushed oregano during the last 5 minutes. Fold in roasted poblano. Serve over pasta and garnish with cotija cheese, cilantro and crushed chile piquin

Guajillo Sauce

• In a large pot, combine the oil, garlic and onions. Turn the heat to below medium. Let the oil heat up slowly to infuse it with the flavors of the garlic and onion.
• After a few minutes, the ingredients will begin to fry lightly. Continue to saute and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring as needed.
• Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the pot when ready. Cook until tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices. Add the chile de arbol and chile guajillo. Stir well to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in 2 cups of water. Mix in 2-3 tsps of tomato bouillon. Let everything come up to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the ingredients sit for 10 minutes.
• When ready, transfer all of the ingredients to the blender, including all of the liquid. Cover and secure the lid, holding down with a kitchen towel. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside

Pasta

• You can choose any pasta of your choice. I used about 10 oz of fetuccini and followed the instructions on the package, but cooked it for 2 minutes less.

Notes

To roast the poblano, you can remove the stem and seeds. Brush with oil. Roast under a preheated broiler set on high for 8-9 minutes per side. You can also roast in an air fryer on high for 10 minutes. All air fryers will vary in cooking times. After roasting, transfer poblanos to a plastic bag and let them sweat for 10 minutes. Remove blistered skins and slice or dice as desired.

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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