Star Wars Tauntaun Guts and Starkillers AKA Spaghetti and Rigali Meatballs Recipe

Spaghetti and Rigali Meatballs aka Tauntaun Guts and Starkillers Recipe (I love the edible decor I made, so cool, but not quite an x-wing starfighter lol)

Some of you have repeatedly asked me for my meatball recipe and with Valentine's Day quickly coming upon us, it's time to post the recipe for the most romantic Italian food since Lady and The Tramp (Disney). Once in one's life, we must share a spaghetti pasta with somebody we love until our lips meet. Okay, that's the hopeless romantic in me. It's never yet happened for me, but hey, I have higher hopes for you!

Top it off with the fact, I am a horrible Italian. Yes, it's true. I don't really like spaghetti very much. I love the meatballs I make, but I am not huge on Spaghetti (unless it's covered in plentiful amounts of Parmesan and Romano). However, my kids love Star Wars Food, so it's Tauntaun Guts and Starkillers aka Spaghetti and Meatballs.  I make this dish at least twice a month to be a good mamma. Personally, I usually just take a meatball and put it on top of Sarlaac Toast aka Garlic Toast (with CHEESE and eat it that way. Mmmm!!! Speaking of which, you can find free printable Star Wars party food labels for both the Tauntaun Guts and Starkillers and the Sarlacc Toast on The Star Wars Mom website.

Levi, one of my precious sons, could never understand why other people's meatballs weren't as good as mine. He asked me what type I buy because I need to share the brand with others so they can have good meatballs, too. LOL My sweet boy should have known they were homemade, as almost everything is that our family eats. Meatloaf and meatballs were two of the first things I learned to make for dinner. However, over time I have modified my recipe to make it the way my family likes best and I hope you will do the same.

And at times, I even make my recipe a gluten-free version, so I will try to include that as well on a future post. If you like that traditional meatballs with pine nuts and raisins, I recommend you get "The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual," as they are amazing cooks. I will have to make and post their cavatelli dish soon, as the males in my family think it's the best.

Star Wars Italian Food:
Starkillers Recipe AKA Rigali Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:

Ham Solo in Carbonara (Han Solo in Carbonite) AKA Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This is one dish that seems most Italians and Americans both enjoy in its closer to authentic version. Some enjoy adding garlic or onions to it, but for my first post regarding it, I will stick to something most purists will accept. Now being in America, I will make a few suggestions for items one is more likely to find in our grocery store. And by all means, if you want garlic or onions, go for it. My kids like it much better with garlic and extra sauce.

I live remote in the mountains. My closest store does not carry guanciale (nor does any grocery store locally). In fact, the pancetta it does carry is so thinly sliced, that it does not work well for cooking at all, it is meant for sandwiches or antipasto. If one tries to cook with it, it burns the within a minute of hitting the pan.

In Carbonara, to render the fat needed for the sauce, I must use local bacon. On the upside, we have many homesteaders and ranchers up here who raise lovely meat that I have no fears of consuming. So I do use a very beautiful, organic bacon, but you can use whatever you can locate or afford and it will still taste delizioso. 

Of course working hand in hand with The Star Wars Mom website, today's version of Carbonara is affectionately titled, "Ham Solo in Carbonara." You can find the free printable party food label on the Star Wars Mom website. I hope you enjoy this meal. Since spaghetti pasta is considered "romantic" food thanks to Disney's Lady and The Tramp, this is one of our Valentine themed posts.

I would like to give a shout out of BIG THANKS to my daughter, Bethany, who has been helping me with decor and setting up/tearing down for photo shoots. She has truly been a blessing at getting this rolling. She loves decorating, so she set up the table for the Valentine's Photo Shoots and I think she did an amazing job! While you can't see a lot of it on here, you can in the Star Wars Mom post on this topic.

Star Wars Italian Food:
Ham Solo in Carbonara Recipe

Ingredients:

Sea Salt
3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks, room temp
3 ounces (about 1/3 packed cup) grated pecorino Romano
3 ounces (about 1/3 packed cup) grated Parmesan
Fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces of slab guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, sliced into pieces about 1/4 - 1/2 inch square, (depending on the meat you choose)
16 ounces spaghetti (1 box, do not use thin spaghetti for Carbonara)
1-2 cups of reserved pasta water after cooking spaghetti
Parsley, freshly minced for topping

Directions:

Lightly salt the pot of water for cooking spaghetti pasta. While I normally salt the water like the ocean for cooking pasta, this is an exception, since we are going to use some of the reserved pasta water for our sauce and we want to control how salty this becomes. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, cheeses, couple of pinches of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add whichever meat you are using and lightly fry until the fat is rendered and it begins to get crisp, but do not overcook. Leave meat in oil, and remove pan from heat.

Cook spaghetti in pot of water until al dente, be very careful not to cook any further, better less than more, as the spaghetti is going to soak up some of the sauce. Be careful to reserve a couple of cups of the pasta water before draining spaghetti.

Before draining spaghetti, reheat the pork in the skillet. Make sure to remove skillet from heat when it's hot. Add the hot spaghetti pasta to the skillet  and toss well for a minute. Then pour on some of the reserved pasta water, top with the egg/cheese mixture and stir quickly with two spoons if needed. You must work quickly to cook the eggs/cheese/water/fat into a sauce with the heat of the spaghetti and not end up with scrambled eggs. It should form a lovely, creamy sauce.

Serve immediately in pasta bowls. Top with parsley, freshly grated romano or parmesan, and black pepper.

 

Buongiorno miei amata amici! In the age-old quest for “do as the Romans do,” we find the need to eat our spaghetti according to tradition. I was quite amused when I found that people actually debate technique or even brag about the wrong form out of ignorance.

Here are some of the techniques from which we have to choose:

• The fork and knife method. Using a knife cut your spaghetti in manageable bite-sized portions and scoop them with your fork.



• The fork and spoon form. Employing the help of a spoon, push your spaghetti with your fork toward the spoon. Once the tines of the fork meet the spoon, wind it against the spoon.



• The fork technique. Take your fork and pull up some strands of spaghetti to separate them from your pile. Once the pasta strands are free, move your tines quickly down against the side of your pasta bowl and wind quickly.



• The slurping method. Remember Lady and the Tramp? Well, Disney does its research before making movies. Could placing the strands in your mouth and slurping them in be another type of a compliment to the chef?
  

Maybe your mama always cut up your spaghetti before serving it to you, or even broke up the noodles before emerging them in a hot bath. That amati amici, was because you were a child, not proper technique.

In North America, Italian restaurants commonly serve a bowl of spaghetti with both a fork and spoon. Does that answer our question? No! When interviewed, Italian chefs in North America explained. They serve it with a spoon, because if they do not, the patrons request one, under the belief that is the proper technique.

We are now down to the last two options. Place your bets. And the winner is…

After consulting with relatives, residing in Italy the consensus was clear. Grabbing a fork in one hand, lifting several strands of pasta to separate it from the pile in the middle of your pasta bowl, you place the tines of the fork down towards the side of the bowl and twirl, then lift it quickly to your mouth.

Slurping spaghetti in all cases is rude. Did Disney make a mistake when they showed that in Lady and the Tramp? No, dogs do not have hands to implement a fork.

Practice will make you a spaghetti expert.

*Featured bowl above from Corelle's Classic Elegance line: Enhancements!*