Indulge your taste buds in a culinary journey to Italy with our exceptional Italian Meatballs article. Discover the secrets behind creating authentic, mouthwatering meatballs that capture the essence of Italian cuisine. Our comprehensive guide features three distinct recipes, each offering a unique twist on this classic dish. From the traditional Italian Meatballs simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce to the tantalizing Baked Italian Meatballs bursting with cheesy goodness, and the irresistible Air Fryer Italian Meatballs for a healthier twist, we've got you covered. Prepare to tantalize your palate and impress your loved ones with these delectable meatballs, perfect for any occasion.
Here are our top 20 tried and tested recipes!
ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS
This is a recipe I got from my mother years ago -- it's great.
Provided by Jeremy
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 2h20m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 346.6 calories, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 77.4 mg, Fat 21.2 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 1492.5 mg, Sugar 11.1 g
CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Homemade meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. You can substitute water or beef broth for the milk, if preferred.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 2h15m
Yield 30
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
- Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 81.9 calories, Carbohydrate 1.7 g, Cholesterol 32.3 mg, Fat 5.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 6.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 192.1 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
ITALIAN BAKED MEATBALLS
This recipe makes the most tender and tasty meatballs. I also freeze these meatballs and take out how many servings I need for each meal. If cooking in sauce, add baked meatballs 20 minutes before serving time.
Provided by Dawn Fronius
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together. Combine with water and eggs. Add ground beef and mix well. Roll mixture into balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 343 calories, Carbohydrate 14.1 g, Cholesterol 135.2 mg, Fat 20.4 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 24.4 g, SaturatedFat 7.8 g, Sodium 611.7 mg, Sugar 1 g
GREAT-GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS
My great-grandmother started this easy meatball recipe with our family. We use ground beef and turkey for these meatballs, and the flavor's so good, you won't miss the extra calories. -Audrey Colantino, Winchester, Massachusetts
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 50m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, seasonings and onion mixture. Add turkey and beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., Place meatballs on a rack coated with cooking spray in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, 18-22 minutes. If desired, serve with pasta and pasta sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 271 calories, Fat 13g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 125mg cholesterol, Sodium 569mg sodium, Carbohydrate 10g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 27g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Meatball recipes are often challenged by chefs who claim, "Mine are the best!" Even though my meatballs ARE the best, I will make no such claim. Try them for yourself! This meatball recipe was given to me by my father who got it from a little old lady from Italy that he knew. It's amazing that she gave up her recipe to him, but I sure am glad she did!
Provided by InMemoryofBrats
Categories Meat
Time 3h20m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.
- Use your bare hands for best results.
- Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball. (wet your hands to prevent the meat from sticking to them while rolling the meat balls).
- Drop raw meatballs into large (I use a stock pot) pot of sauce.
- (I have an incredible sauce recipe {#92096} I use for my meatballs).
- Simmer for about 3 hours.
ROASTED ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time 1h
Yield 10 servings (30 to 32 meatballs)
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
- Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
- Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
- To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
- Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.
SPICY ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 2h30m
Yield 70 to 80 small meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- For the meatballs: Combine the ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, ricotta, parsley, crushed red pepper, salt, garlic, eggs, milk and black pepper in a bowl. Mash with your hands until thoroughly combined. Form into small balls and place on a baking sheet. Set in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches until nice and deep golden, then move them to a plate.
- For the sauce: Into the same skillet, add the garlic and onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, parsley, tomato paste, sugar, salt, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer another 15 minutes. Keep warm until serving.
- Transfer to a chafing dish and serve with frilly toothpicks.
ITALIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS
These lean meatballs are filled with the flavors of Italy with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoned bread crumbs.
Provided by Melt Organic Buttery Spread
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips Melt® Organic Buttery Spread
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all the ingredients together except for the Melt®; stir well in a bowl. Form around 30 balls out of the mixture. Put them on a broiler pan coated with the melted Melt. Bake around 15 minutes or until a cut meatball shows no pink inside. Serve with pasta and sauce or place on a sandwich.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 187.8 calories, Carbohydrate 8.1 g, Cholesterol 65.1 mg, Fat 8.6 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 19.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.4 g, Sodium 351.3 mg, Sugar 0.7 g
ITALIAN SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
This authentic Italian recipe was given to me by my cousin's wife, who is from Italy. It's so hearty and satisfying, everyone's eyes light up when I tell my family that we're having this for supper! -Etta Winter, Pavillion, New York
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 2h
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, onion, sugar, oregano, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours., Meanwhile, soak bread in remaining water. Squeeze out excess moisture. In a large bowl, combine the bread, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining salt, garlic and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into thirty-six 1-1/2-in. meatballs. , Preheat oven to 400°. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until no longer pink, 20 minutes; drain. Transfer to spaghetti sauce. Simmer, uncovered, until heated through, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Serve with spaghetti; if desired, top with additional Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 373 calories, Fat 13g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 123mg cholesterol, Sodium 1201mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (17g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 26g protein.
GRANDMA'S OLD ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS
Grandma's sauce is an old recipe that she brought over from Italy. It is a long process with strange ingredients, but they all come together to make the best sauce I have ever had. The long process is worth your trouble the minute you take your first bite.
Provided by cherbear
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 8h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of a large saucepan, and fry the garlic cloves 5 to 8 minutes, until brown and fragrant. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Place the pig's feet and pork neck bones in the saucepan and fry, turning occasionally, until the meat and bones have browned, about 15 minutes.
- Return the garlic cloves to the saucepan, and stir in the tomato paste and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and pour in the tomato puree. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring from the bottom often to prevent burning, until the pig's feet are tender and the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the sugar, pepper, and baking soda. Continue to simmer while you prepare the meatballs.
- Soak the torn bread with 1 cup of water in a bowl. Squeeze excess water out of the bread, and place the bread in a large bowl with the 6 beaten eggs, ground pork, ground veal, and ground beef. Mix thoroughly and form into 24 meatballs about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in the minced garlic and chopped fresh basil, let them cook for about 1 minute, and then add the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fry them on all sides until brown, about 15 minutes, working in batches, if necessary.
- Place the browned meatballs, along with the oil, garlic, and basil from the skillet into the sauce, stirring lightly to avoid breaking them. Add the whole hard-boiled eggs, and simmer for about 1 1/2 more hours, until the meatballs are cooked, the sauce is thick, and all the flavors have blended.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 599.1 calories, Carbohydrate 38 g, Cholesterol 319.1 mg, Fat 29.4 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 46.2 g, SaturatedFat 9.4 g, Sodium 1437.4 mg, Sugar 11.6 g
SPAGHETTI WITH ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Sharon Crider sends this hearty spaghetti dinner from Junction City, Kansas. "It's one of my family's favorite recipes," she writes. "We enjoy servings of the sauce with a variety of pasta."
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h35m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and bread. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. , In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. In batches, brown meatballs, adding more oil as needed. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add meatballs to sauce; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink. , Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve with meatballs and sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385 calories, Fat 11g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 69mg cholesterol, Sodium 612mg sodium, Carbohydrate 49g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 21g protein.
MAMA IULIUCCI'S FAMOUS MEAT-A-BALLS (ITALIAN MEATBALLS)
Here it is, my mom's FAMOUS Meatball recipe! This is THEE most requested of her for anything, anywhere! Whenever there is a shower, birthday, christening, etc., someone is asking for 150 to 200 of her famous meatballs. :) Of course, she always says yes! She is not one for "exact" measurements (a little of this, a dash of that), so I tried the best I could to adapt her recipe. Of course, these are best served with My Mama Iuliucci's "Don't Skip a Step" Spaghetti Sauce recipe #26947, but I have used jazzed-up jarred sauce and they are still great. However, meat-a-balls like these deserve a homemade sauce, in my humble opinion!
Provided by Karen..
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 30m
Yield 36 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients gently in a large bowl until well combined.
- Roll meatballs 1 1/2- 1 3/4" in diameter.
- Heat about 1/4" of oil over medium heat in a large frying pan.
- Fry meatballs in oil, rolling frequently, until evenly browned and juices run clear.
- Drop meatballs in your favorite sauce (I highly recommend My Mama Iuliucci's"Don't Skip a Step" Spaghetti Sauce recipe#26947) and let simmer for awhile to flavor sauce or just serve with your favorite pasta and sauce.
- Tip: You can also bake or broil these if the frying part is too much of a hassle-- I use my broiler pan if I bake them, so the fat drips down and away from the meatballs.
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS
Classic Italian wedding soup is beloved for its simplicity and satisfaction. This turkey version is lean, while meatballs stay moist by simmering in broth. Start with the most flavorful broth you can get your hands on (homemade is ideal, but store-bought works well too), then pack the meatballs with flavor (garlic and parsley) and staying power (egg, panko and cheese, to gently bind them together). Traditionalists may be tempted to add a small grated onion to the meat mixture, and sweat celery and carrots into the broth, but for a quick weeknight meal, you won't miss them here. If speed is your game, roll the mixture into 12 large meatballs-or opt for 20 smaller ones if serving kids (mini meatballs will cook through even faster). Either way, finish with a healthy dose of olive oil, lemon, cheese and dill, or any fresh Italian herb you may have on hand.
Provided by Sarah Copeland
Categories dinner, easy, quick, weeknight, soups and stews, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, add the turkey, panko, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Parmesan to a large bowl. Mix with a fork or clean hands until combined. Gently roll the mixture into 12 medium (2-inch) or 20 small (1 1/2-inch) meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat.
- Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat. Broil the meatballs until brown on two sides, turning halfway through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Add the pasta to the boiling broth and cook over medium until al dente, then lower the heat to a low simmer.
- Add the meatballs to the broth and simmer on low until completely warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and add the spinach and lemon zest, stirring well, to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the soup among four bowls. Drizzle each with olive oil, sprinkle with more Parmesan and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top. Scatter the dill over the top, or stir in.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 669, UnsaturatedFat 19 grams, Carbohydrate 49 grams, Fat 29 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 51 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 1797 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 0 grams
ITALIAN MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE
Make and share this Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Julesong
Categories Meat
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Make the sauce: in a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes; add parsley, basil, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, wine, sugar, romano, salt, and oregano, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking, prepare the meatballs: in a large bowl combine bread (with liquid squeezed from it), chuck (it's really good if you grind your own!), eggs, romano, parsley, garlic, the oregano, salt, and pepper; mix well and form into 8 meatballs.
- In a large skillet brown the meatballs in the oil over high heat, turning them often; make sure to not crowd them in the pan, otherwise they won't brown properly.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to the sauce with a slotted spoon and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- You can serve them with your favorite pasta right away, but these improve in flavor if they're cooled and chilled, covered, and refrigerated overnight or up to 2 days before serving.
ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Grandma "Sini" would make these meatballs for our traditional spaghetti dinner every Sunday. They freeze well, so bake an extra batch when time allows. Then combine with your favorite homemade or purchased sauce and serve over pasta.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 40m
Yield 6-8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Soak bread in milk for 10 minutes; drain and squeeze bread. In a blender in food processor, combine the bread, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and allspice; cover and process until smooth., In a large bowl, combine the beef and sausage. Add bread mixture; mix well. Shape into 2-in. balls. Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. , Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink; drain. In a large saucepan, heat marinara sauce; add the meatballs and heat through. , Serve over pasta.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 434 calories, Fat 25g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 137mg cholesterol, Sodium 1161mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 31g protein.
SPICY ITALIAN PORK MEATBALLS
These easy, versatile oven-baked pork meatballs get their bold flavor from Italian herbs, Parmesan cheese and a dash of red pepper. Serve them with our quick marinara dipping sauce as an appetizer, or pop them in a hoagie bun or on top of your pasta for quick, delicious dinners!
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 40m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, mix Meatball ingredients until well combined. Using rounded tablespoon measure, shape 20 meatballs (1 1/2-inch); place in pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until no longer pink in center (at least 165°F).
- Meanwhile, make sauce by heating oil in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the basil leaves; heat to simmering. Stir; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to blender. Vent blender top, and cover with kitchen towel. Blend sauce 40 to 45 seconds or until garlic and basil are blended with tomatoes. Serve sauce warm with meatballs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 400, Carbohydrate 19 g, Cholesterol 125 mg, Fat 1 1/2, Fiber 1 g, Protein 27 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 1010 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 g
BEST EVER ITALIAN MEATBALLS
This is a recipe I was given from a lady from Italy. She told me that the secret of mouth watering meatballs is not to cook them before adding them to the sauce, as cooking them in the sauce will not only add more flavor to the sauce, but also to the meatballs. What I do is make these a day ahead of time, with my sauce. Then, I refrigerate it over-night, which makes any fat rise to the top and harden, where it is easily removed. This process also allows all of the flavors to "marry" together, making it especially delicious!
Provided by Irishcolleen
Categories Meatballs
Time 1h55m
Yield 16 Meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Shape into small meatballs.
- Drop the meatballs into simmering sauce. It is important not to stir the sauce for at least 25 minutes. This will allow the meatballs to firm up enough as not to break up in the sauce. Make sure your burner is low enough so that your sauce does not scorch during this process.
- Continue simmering until sauce reaches desired consistency and meatballs are cooked through.
JOHNSONVILLE® ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Using ground Italian sausage plus a few simple ingredients makes these flavorful meatballs extra-easy.
Provided by From the Kitchen at Johnsonville Sausage
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk and onion.
- Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to the bread crumb mixture and mix well. Shape into 20 meatballs. Arrange meatballs on a shallow baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (160 degrees F). Serve with your favorite sauce and spaghetti.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 366.4 calories, Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Cholesterol 104.6 mg, Fat 29 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 18.7 g, SaturatedFat 10.8 g, Sodium 975.8 mg, Sugar 1.2 g
GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS
This recipe is from my Italian grandmother. The one change she made to get with the times was to use Ragu sauce instead of homemade, and she declared that it still tasted just as good. It's never failed to impress the people I make it for. My husband says these meatballs have forever ruined him to other people's, or even restaurant meatballs. The real secret is in the time you take to slowly cook the meatballs in the sauce. Don't skimp and just toss the sauce on and eat it. It will still taste good, but not anything like it should be. The raisins are meant to absorb the acidity and impart a little sweetness to the sauce. This recipe can easily be multiplied to feed more people.
Provided by Buckdawna
Categories Meat
Time 4h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, basil, parmesan cheese, and parsley until combined. Do not overwork meatball mixture.
- Make golfball size meatballs with meatball mixture.
- Brown meatballs in a frying pan over medium heat, or bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.
- Combine browned meatballs in a pot with sauce and raisins.
- Cook covered, simmering gently over low heat, for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours, stirring gently occasionaly.
- If sauce becomes too thick over the course of cooking, a small amount of water can be added to thin it.
- Serve over spaghetti, on rolls, or however your heart desires.
SUNDAY GRAVY (REAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE)AND MEATBALLS
Sauce the way mamas in ital make it--meatballs that melt in your mouth. If I was on death row this is what I would want! God's honest truth! PLEASE PLEASE use it for Recipe #73939--it's amazing.
Provided by Bri22
Categories Sauces
Time 3h10m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- SAUCE: Heat oil in large heavy pot (use a seasoned pot if you have one). Place the pork in the pot and brown until just about cooked. Transfer pork to plate. Do the same with the sausage and transfer to plate. Leave fat in pot. Add whole peeled garlic cloves cook until tender. Put garlic on plate with meat and stir in tomato paste until "saucy". Chop up tomatoes leaving the tomato juice in the cans (I use my chopper) and add them to the pot.
- Then add 1/2 of one can of the juice to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the meats and garlic to the sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Leave the sauce on low and remove all the meat and garlic cloves.
- Mix all ingredients for meatballs and shape into balls. Add to sauce turn up just a little higher than low and let cook the raw meatballs until they are done (1/2 hour) THATS IT!
- Now this is an old recipe, but I have seen it in the sopranos cookbook and this is a bit different.
- I used this sauce to make the ziti al forno from the sopranos cookbook (Recipe #73939) and it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten, so I posted that too.
Tips:
- Use a combination of ground beef and pork: This will give the meatballs a more flavorful and juicy texture.
- Soak the bread in milk before adding it to the meatball mixture: This will help to keep the meatballs moist and tender.
- Season the meatball mixture generously: Don't be afraid to add plenty of garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning.
- Use a large skillet to cook the meatballs: This will prevent them from overcrowding and ensure that they cook evenly.
- Simmer the meatballs in tomato sauce for at least 30 minutes: This will allow the flavors to meld and develop.
- Serve the meatballs with your favorite pasta, rice, or vegetables: They're also great on their own as an appetizer.
Conclusion:
These Italian meatballs are a classic dish that is sure to please everyone. They're easy to make and can be served with a variety of sides. Whether you're making them for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion, these meatballs are sure to be a hit.
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