“I’ve been making a version of the meatball recipe for years as an appetizer and I was in the mood for some yummy ramen noodles and thought a play on the comfort of spaghetti and meatballs with an Asian-style flair would be fun. It was! And quite delicious!”

— Natalie Cheel of @Cheeln_is_Cookn

Recipe by Natalie Cheel
Born in Ontario, Canada in 1979
Lives in Seattle, WA
Profession: Marketing and Public Relations
Leisure: Cooking, Exploring the city and nature with my kids, Running, Snuggling with my dog, Doing anything that is by the water
Word of the day: Lovely
Childhood cuisine: Simple, healthy, and slightly hippie-ish (think natural peanut butter and bulk foods from the health food store)
Follow her as she cooks @cheeln_is_cookn

Makes 3-4 servings

Meatballs
1 small sized shallot, minced
1/2 cup neutral oil (like canola or sunflower), divided
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, white and green parts
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flour

Noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 bunch spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
1 package (12 ounces) Umi Organic ramen noodles
2 tablespoons barrel aged soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 fresno pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
4 lime wedges

Directions

Meatballs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sauté shallots in 1/2 tablespoon oil, until soft and transparent. Let cool.
Combine all ingredients, except the remaining oil and flour. Mix well with your hands and shape into about 12 meatballs.
Heat oil in large cast iron pan. Dredge meatballs in a thin layer of flour and pan fry until golden on all sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Noodles

Heat a large pot of water.
In a wok on medium heat melt butter and add sesame oil. Add shallots sauté until transparent, about two minutes. Add spinach and sauté until wilted, about 1 minute.
Boil noodles for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Add pasta water to wok. Add noodles, soy sauce and fish sauce and toss to combine.
Plate noodles and meatballs. Garnish with sesame seeds, Fresno pepper, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges. Serve!

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