Meatballs

Any movie based on a children’s picture-book is bound to be a feat of extrapolation, but taking on “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’’ poses a special challenge. The 1978 book has a funny concept - a town called Chewandswallow, where the food supply falls from the sky - but no characters and little plot to speak of. Food drops, in ever more destructive weather patterns, but no one questions why. So the new 3-D animated movie version essentially starts from scratch. We get a tiny island town called Swallow Falls, which lives well off the sardine trade until global sardine demand takes a...

Serves 4 with leftovers 1can (28-ounces) whole peeled tomatoes1slice sandwich bread, crusts removed, bread torn 1egg⅓cup grated pecorino Romano¼small onion, finely chopped 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley½teaspoon salt, or to tasteBlack pepper, to taste¾pound ground beef½pound ground pork2tablespoons olive oil1clove garlic, finely chopped1½pounds spaghetti1cup freshly grated Parmesan (for serving) 1. In a bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands. 2. In a food processor, pulse the bread into coarse crumbs.

Makes about 42 small meatballs 6 to 8 tablespoons green puree (see recipe) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup unsweetened wheat germ 1 egg, beaten 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey 2 tablespoons olive oil 1. In a bowl with the back of a spoon, mix the green puree and tomato paste until the green color turns brownish. Mix in salt, wheat germ, and egg. Add the ground meat and mix with your hands until well combined.

If you're cooking for a marathon crowd, you are probably planning a carbohydrate-dense meal. To give runners a protein boost as well, toss spaghetti with beefy meatballs shaped with pork for extra flavor. When you form them, handle the meat with a light touch so that the balls will not compact into tough rounds. One large can of whole peeled tomatoes yields a chunky sauce that cooks right in the pan with the meatballs. In most households, leftover spaghetti is an easy sell, and even more appealing cooked in a frittata.

Serves 6 Use torn bread cubes in place of bread crumbs to make a delicate meatball which absorbs more sauce. MEATBALLS 1 cup (about 4 slices) torn bread cubes 2/3 cup milk 1 pound ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped 1 egg 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice Salt and pepper, to taste Canola oil (for the pan)

Serves 4 with leftovers 1can (28-ounces) whole peeled tomatoes1slice sandwich bread, crusts removed, bread torn 1egg⅓cup grated pecorino Romano¼small onion, finely chopped 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley½teaspoon salt, or to tasteBlack pepper, to taste¾pound ground beef½pound ground pork2tablespoons olive oil1clove garlic, finely chopped1½pounds spaghetti1cup freshly grated Parmesan (for serving) 1. In a bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands. 2. In a food processor, pulse the bread into coarse crumbs.

Serves 8 These pork and beef meatballs are simmered in a lightly cooked tomato sauce. Don’t let the sauce boil hard or the meatballs will shrivel up and become tough. The best way to check the temperature is with a meat thermometer; cooked meatballs should read 160 degrees (but not more). SAUCE 1 can (16 ounces) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic, halved 6 fresh basil leaves 2 teaspoons salt, or to...

Serves 4 You can add leftover pasta to this soup (it’s OK if there’s tomato sauce clinging to it). Use about 1 cup cooked pasta, snipped to break it up. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 quarts chicken stock 12 cooked meatballs, each cut into 4 slices Salt...

Serves 4 as a main course Often referred to as Italian wedding soup, this hearty bowl has been mistranslated for many years. The name, minestra maritata, really means "married soup," which refers to the pleasing combination of vegetables and meatballs. Light but substantial, the soup contains escarole, or curly bitter greens, and pork and beef meatballs simmered in homemade or prepared chicken stock. Near the end of cooking add dried pasta - ditalini, bow ties, orzo - and top with shredded Parmesan.

Serves 4 with leftovers 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery ribs, sliced 10 cups chicken stock 1 cup ditalini or other tiny soup pasta 15 meatballs, halved Leftover...

SHOPPING LIST (For spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti frittata) ¾ pound ground beef ½ pound ground pork 9 eggs 1 cup grated pecorino Romano 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan 4 ounces fresh mozzarella 4 scallions 4 ounces (4 cups) spinach leaves ¼ small onion ½ bunch fresh parsley 1 clove garlic Salt and pepper ¼ cup olive oil 1½ pounds spaghetti 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes 1 slice sandwich bread

Crack egg; beat lightly with a fork. Chop garlic. Grate onion. Mix meat, egg, garlic, onion, crumbs, salt, and pepper. Form meatballs and set in baking dish. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.

Serves 4 1 egg 1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ cup ketchup 1 small onion, grated ½ cup panko 1 ½ pounds ground beef Salt and pepper, to taste 1 jar (16 ounces) marinara sauce 1 pound ziti 1 cup grated Parmesan 1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a 9-by-12-inch baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet.

This is the fourth of four parts. Meatballs are as popular with kids as pizza and chicken tenders. Let them dig their hands in and shape their own dinner. You can fry, saute, or braise meatballs, but baking them in marinara sauce cooks the meat without added fat. This recipe calls for panko, light, crisp Japanese breadcrumbs. Eggs bind the mixture and ketchup adds moistness. Wet your hands with water before forming the meatballs to prevent them from sticking. While the meatballs cook, boil some ziti.

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. - Don't be surprised if Katie Couric, Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg, Senator Olympia Snowe, or George Stephanopoulos is sitting at the next table. This picturesque, ritzy town on the east end of Long Island is where celebrities and millionaires converge in the summer. The list of famous people who own a second home in the Hamptons is long, and The Living Room is a favorite restaurant. The luxury starts as you enter The Maidstone, the boutique hotel where The Living Room is located.

2 pounds ground dark meat turkey 2 cups grated Parmesan 1/2 cup milk 3 eggs 1 bunch fresh Swiss chard 1/2 bunch fresh parsley 1 large onion 2 cloves garlic Salt and black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste 5 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 quarts chicken stock 1 can (28 ounces) imported whole tomatoes 5 slices sandwich bread 6 sub rolls or other 8-inch soft rolls

Serves 4 You can add leftover pasta to this soup (it’s OK if there’s tomato sauce clinging to it). Use about 1 cup cooked pasta, snipped to break it up. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 quarts chicken stock 12 cooked meatballs, each cut into 4 slices Salt...

Serves 6 with leftovers You can cover the filled sandwiches with provolone cheese (you’ll need 12 slices or about 3/4 pound), then slide the sandwiches under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese. SAUCE 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 can (28 ounces) imported whole tomatoes, with their juices, crushed in a bowl Salt, to taste 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste 1. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the oil. When it is hot,...