Now that you have learned how to make perfect meatballs, you have to decide how to serve them. Be daring and opt for something other than the traditional spaghetti. Spirals, bowties and even elbow macaroni work well. Go wild and try them with rice or even quinoa.

Make it easy on yourself and set up a meatball-rolling production line. Get a big plate or platter and drop heaping tablespoonsful of your meat onto it, until it is covered. Now gently take each blob of meat and roll and pat it into a rough ball shape.

The shape doesn’t have to be a perfectly round ball. Only handle them briefly, as working the meat too much will result in tough meatballs.

 

INGREDIENTS

For the Meatballs:

1 lightly packed cup of sliced white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces, crusts removed

½ cup grated onion (brown, white or yellow)

14 oz. (400 g) ground beef (beef mince)

3 oz. (100g) ground pork (mince) or substitute with ground beef (beef mince)

1 egg

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan) cheese, freshly grated

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1½ Tbsp. olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

¾ cup onion, finely chopped (white, brown or yellow)

2 garlic cloves, minced

24 oz. (700 g) tomato passata (also known as tomato puree in America)

¼ cup water

1 tsp red pepper (chili) flakes

3 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)

1 tsp salt

Black pepper

To Serve:

Pasta of choice (I like spaghetti and twirls!)

Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan), freshly grated

Parsley, finely chopped (optional)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Meatballs:

Place the bread and onion in a large bowl. Mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread. Add all the remaining meatball ingredients except the olive oil. Use your hands to mix well. Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Heat 1½ Tbsp. olive oil in a large non-stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over – about 5 minutes. I prefer to shake the pan gently to roll the meatballs around, rather than using a spoon (they hold their shape better). When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.

 

For the Sauce:

Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in the frying pan where you just cooked the meatballs. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining Sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering everywhere.

Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce. Cook the meatballs for 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice. Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano and parsley if using.

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Quick Tip:  Grated onion, as opposed to diced onion, is the secret flavor ingredient in these meatballs. Using grated onion to soak the bread minimizes the liquid, which can ruin the texture of your meatballs. Grating also eliminates the need for sautéing onions before adding them to the meatballs, plus they will cook far more quickly than diced onions, thereby ensuring you don’t have to overcook the meatballs. Grating the onion allows you to easily form meatballs that will hold together, without having to overwork them, making them tough.

Recipe and image courtesy of Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats