Italian Meatballs
The tastiest Italian meatball recipe ever! (Even lovely old Nonna will be asking you for the recipe after she tastes these meatballs!) Serve over spaghetti or any pasta, rice, or cous cous - or with fresh bread like the Italians do.
Equipment
- Large skillet/ frypan
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef (500 grams)
- ½ pound ground pork (250 grams)
- 1½ cups lightly packed sandwich bread (diced, no crusts)
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 large onion
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano for more bite!) (grated)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Sauce
- 2 pounds tomato puree (spaghetti sauce, passata) (1kg)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 spring onions (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Spaghetti
- 1 pound spaghetti or any pasta (or rice, cous cous, etc) (500 grams)
Instructions
Meatballs
- Into a medium sized bowl, grate the onion. Allow all the onion juices as well as the pulp to remain in the bowl.
- Put your diced white bread pieces into the onion-y bowl and cover the bread as much as possible with the onion juices.
- Set bread & onion bowl aside while you get on with the meatballs. This gives the bread time to absorb the onion juices.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, parsley, garlic, beaten eggs, chili flakes, salt & pepper, and the 1/4 cup of grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.
- Mix the ingredients together well.
- Add in the bread & onion mixture (including any remaining onion juices).
- Mix together with the other meatball ingredients.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out similar-sized portions of meatball mixture.
- Wet your hands then roll each portion into a roughly walnut-sized ball in the palm of your hands.
- Don't worry too much about the meatballs being perfectly shaped - you don't want to 'over-roll' them and have them become tough.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet/ frypan over medium heat.
- Now you will cook your meatballs in batches.
- Add some of your meatballs to the skillet/ frypan and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, turning frequently until browned all over. The idea is to sear them (that is, seal in all that yummy flavor), not cook them just yet.
- As the meatballs finish browning, set them aside on a large plate while you cook more batches.
- Please don't over-crowd the pan!
Sauce
- When all the meatballs have been browned and are sitting on a plate off to the side, you will start the meatball sauce in the still-hot skillet/ pan.
- If there is olive oil left in the skillet, you can use it. If you need more, add another tablespoon or two.
- Add in the garlic and spring onions.
- Saute for 2 -3 minutes.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, herbs (dried or fresh), dried chili flakes, and tomato puree.
- Stir gently while bringing the sauce to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Use tongs to gently replace all the meatballs (and juices) into the skillet/ frypan.
- Spoon a little sauce over the meatballs so that all are juicy.
- Allow the meatballs to cook in the sauce for 10 minutes, gently turning and stirring occasionally.
Spaghetti
- While the meatballs are cooking, cook your spaghetti or any type of pasta - or rice, cous cous etc. Italians eat meatballs with thick slices of fresh bread - just saying!
- When your pasta is 'al dente' or your rice/ cous cous is fluffy, serve it with a hearty portion of meatballs and sauce on top.
- You coud add a little extra grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if you fancy.
Notes
If you're looking for ways to 'lighten the load' (that is, reduce calories!), I'll give you some suggestions under the 'options' heading below.