Italian Meatballs

Name: Italian Meatballs
Prep time: 1 h 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 454 grams ground beef (at least 16 percent fat); 454 grams ground pork; 158 milliliters milk (whole or 2 percent); 85 grams slices of white bread, crusts removed (about; 59 milliliters ricotta cheese; 59 milliliters grated parmesan or romano cheese; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoons Kosher salt; 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 2 teaspoons black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 237 milliliters About of flour for dusting; 79 milliliters extra virgin olive oil; 680 grams 1/2 cups of tomato sauce (make in step 1 of method or use already prepared); 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil; 177 milliliters finely chopped onions; 177 milliliters finely chopped carrots; 177 milliliters finely chopped celery; 2 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley; 1 clove garlic, minced; 794 grams crushed or whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; 1 teaspoons dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil; 1 teaspoon tomato paste; 1 serving Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Italian Meatballs requires roughly 1 hour and 25 minutes from start to finish. This recipe covers 30% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. One serving contains 612 calories, 29g of protein, and 40g of fat. This recipe serves 8. Head to the store and pick up extra virgin olive oil, ground pork, celery, and a few other things to make it today. This recipe is typical of Mediterranean cuisine. It works well as a rather inexpensive main course. If you like this recipe, take a look at these similar recipes: Best Italian Meatballs, Italian Meatballs, and Italian Meatballs.

Instructions

Make the tomato sauce:

Ingredients you will need

Tomato Sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Stir to coat with the oil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through.

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Vegetable

Carrot

Parsley

Celery

Onion

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Remove the cover, add the garlic, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook the garlic for half a minute, then add the tomatoes (if using whole canned, break up with your fingers as you add them to the pan.)

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Tomato

Garlic

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the tomato paste and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

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Salt And Pepper

Tomato Paste

Basil

Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and let cook uncovered until thickened while you prepare the meatballs, 15 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

Purée in a blender, or push through a food mill for a smooth consistency. Return to pan. Adjust seasonings.

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Seasoning

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Blender

Frying Pan

Soak torn bread in hot milk:

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Bread

Milk

Heat the milk in a small pot until steamy. Turn off the heat, tear the bread into little pieces and soak it in the milk until it partially dissolves. Mash it until you get something that resembles a paste. Turn it out onto a plate to let it cool.

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Bread

Milk

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Pot

Make meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, eggs, salt, parsley, oregano, black pepper, garlic cloves and the bread-milk mixture.

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Ricotta Cheese

Whole Garlic Cloves

Black Pepper

Meatballs

Parmesan

Oregano

Parsley

Bread

Beef

Egg

Milk

Pork

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Mix it well with your hands until it barely combines.

Don't overwork the mixture or it will become tough. It is OK to have some discernable bits of bread or meat in the mix; better that than overworked meatballs.

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Meatballs

Bread

Meat

Form meatballs, roll in flour: Wet your hands and form the meatballs. A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2-3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

All Purpose Flour

Roll

Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work. You might need to rinse your hands a few times as you make the meatballs.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

All Purpose Flour

Roll

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Brown meatballs: When all the meatballs are formed, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on at least two sides. Don't worry about the center getting cooked through, as you will finish these in the sauce.

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs

Olive Oil

Sauce