Veal and Sage Meatballs and Pasta with Gorgonzola-Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 cups baby spinach cleaned trimmed 1 bunch
• 0.5 cup bread crumbs 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 cup chicken stock see 
• 1 cup cup heavy whipping cream 
• 0.5 cup cooking wine dry white
• 1  eggs 
• 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup gorgonzola crumbled
• 4 servings ground pepper black
• 1 pound ground veal 
• 0.3 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
• 4 servings olive oil extra-virgin for drizzling
• 0.3 cup parmigiano-reggiano grated
• 1 pound gemelli pasta 
• 6  to 8 sage leaves finely chopped
• 4 servings salt 
• 0.8 cup walnuts divided chopped

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• mixing bowl

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt the water and cook pasta to al dente.
3. Drain.
4. While pasta is working, place veal in a mixing bowl and add to it the egg, garlic, sage, bread crumbs, cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil into the bowl, mix and roll small 1-inch balls. Arrange balls in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes in a hot oven until meat is golden and firm.
6. Toast the walnuts and place them into a food processor. Grind the walnuts and reserve.
7. In a deep skillet over medium heat melt butter.
8. Whisk flour into butter and cook a minute then whisk in wine and reduce by half.
9. Whisk in stock, when it bubbles and begins to reduce, stir in the cream and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer to thicken the sauce a bit, 2 to 3 minutes, melt in the Gorgonzola and stir in the ground walnuts then season the sauce with pepper, to taste, and maybe a pinch of salt.
10. Shred the greens into thin strips.
11. Toss the pasta with the sauce.
12. Serve pasta garnished and topped with a generous mound of greens to mix in as you are eating.