I LOOOOOVE meatballs—who doesn’t? This is my interpretation of the classic Italian-American dish. What makes these meatballs special are two things: First, I cook the onions before putting them in the meatball mix. Second, I add water—this helps ensure a moist ball every time!
Recipe information
Yield
serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
for the sauce
for the meatballs
Preparation
FOR THE SAUCE
Step 1
Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and add the pancetta; bring to medium heat and cook the pancetta for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions and red pepper and season generously with salt; cook until the onions are soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes to the pot along with 2 cups of water, adding up to another cup as needed for consistency during the cooking process. Season generously with salt and taste the sauce. Tomatoes need a lot of salt to bring out their best flavor, so don’t be shy here. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently. You’ll probably need to reseason along the way—that’s just how this sauce rolls.
Step 3
Use the sauce right away or let it cool and store in the refrigerator for a few days; it also freezes really well.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
Step 4
Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil, add the onions, and bring to medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes; turn off the heat and let everything cool.
Step 5
In a large bowl combine the beef, veal, pork, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with salt. Using your hands, squish the mixture well to combine. Add the onions and about 1/2 cup water. Squish, squish, and squish until everything is well combined—the mixture should be quite wet. To check your seasoning, make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty out of the mix; bring a small sauté pan to medium-high heat, add a bit of olive oil, and cook the patty until it’s done. Taste it to make sure the seasoning is on the money (it’s a travesty to have an underseasoned ball, so don’t skip this step!).
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 7
Using damp hands, shape the meat into balls, whatever size you like—some people like big balls, some people like small balls. I like them a little bigger than a golf ball. Put the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through. Then, coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. If using them right away, toss them in your big pot of sauce with spaghetti, or whatever pasta you like. Drizzle with big fat fi nishing oil and sprinkle with Parm, toss vigorously, and serve. If you’re not using them right away, freeze them on a baking sheet and then toss them in a baggie.
note
Step 8
If you have a pot of sauce, you can always pull these meatballs out of the freezer & toss them straight into the sauce—no need to defrost them first!
