Italian meatballs
Like many of the Italian dishes we enjoy in America, Italian meatballs are a combination of old-world recipes and new world product availability. Italy is not the only place we find meatballs. Nearly every culture has its own version. Depending on location and ingredient availability meatballs are made of beef, chicken, pork, turkey, venison, lamb, boar, fish, and even ostrich.
The meatballs found in Italy, the ones that are most like the Italian-American version we know, are typically made with beef, pork, or veal, and some combination of spices, bread, breadcrumbs, rice, grating cheese, and eggs.
But even in Italy the recipe varies by region to take advantage of the local ingredients. The meatballs, called polpette, are much smaller than the ones we are used to, and they are not typically served with spaghetti. Sometimes they are served without a sauce. Other recipes cover them in sauce. They are served as a first course (primo), or as a second course (secondo) after a pasta course and are usually served with a crusty bread or a salad.
This is a family recipe that has been modified over the years. The meatballs are initially baked and then finished in a tomato sauce. I usually freeze some of them after baking to use later.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs;
• ½ cup milk;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1 onion, diced;
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed;
• 1 lb. ground beef;
• 1 lb. ground pork;
• 2 eggs;
• ¼ bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped;
• 2 teaspoons salt;
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning;
• 2 tablespoons good quality grated Parmesan cheese.
Instructions
1. Soak the bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl;
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions until translucent, about 15 to 20 minutes stirring to avoid browning;
3. Combine the beef and pork in a large bowl and mix together.
4. Add the onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until mixed. Cover and place in refrigerator for an hour;
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees;
6. Cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil. Only a small amount is needed;
7. To form the meatballs, wet your hands and form into 1 ½ inch balls. Arrange on the baking sheet so that they are not touching each other;
8. Bake the meatballs for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
• When forming the meatball, I use a large cookie dough scoop to keep them roughly the same size;
• If you do not have Italian Herb Seasoning you can make your own by combining:
1 tablespoon dried oregano:
2 teaspoons dried basil;
2 teaspoons dried thyme (not ground);
1 teaspoon dried sag;
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• You can also use equal parts of beef, pork and veal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 473
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 125
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 250