Main dish
Meatballs
Intermediateshared by masteroon
1. Bread – Plain white sandwich bread is best for this, but you can substitute with other breads. Tear or chop into small pieces, do not include the crust. Slightly stale bread is fine. Substitute with 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs. Meatballs won’t be quite as soft, but still very tender! 2. Meat – Pork is slightly fattier than beef so it helps make these extra juicy and gives it a slightly richer flavour. Feel free to just use 1 lb / 500 g beef mince which is what I do on ordinary nights, or use other ground/mince meat of choice. 3. Herbs – You can substitute with 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley, or a mix of equal amounts of dried oregano, thyme, basil and parsley. You could also use an Italian herb mix if you wanted to. 4. Tomato passata is just pureed, strained tomatoes, sometimes labelled Tomato Puree in the US and Canada (here’s a photo of Mutti Tomato Passata sold at Walmart, high quality Italian brand). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. If you can’t find it, puree canned tomatoes or use crushed canned tomatoes. 5. How I roll meatballs – see video/photos in post. 6. Baking Option: Place a rack on a tray. Spray rack well with oil, place meatballs on rack, spray with oil. Bake at 200C/400F for 20 minutes until nicely browned, then simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to bring the flavours togeth
Ingredients
- 1 cuplightly packed diced white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 1small onion (brown, white or yellow)
- 14 oz / 400 gground beef (mince)
- 3 oz / 100gground pork (mince), or sub with more beef
- 1egg
- 1/4 cupfresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cupParmigiano-Reggiano (or parmesan), freshly grated
- 3/4 tspsalt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
- 2.5 tbspolive oil
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cuponion, finely chopped (white, brown or yellow)
- 24 oz / 700 gtomato passata (Tomato Puree in US/CAN)
- 1/2 cupwater
- 1 tspred pepper flakes (chili flakes)
- 3 tspdried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
- 1 tspsalt
- Black pepper
- Pasta of choice
- Parmesan
- Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Grate the onion using a standard box grater in a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup of grated onion and juices.
- 2Add bread, mix to combine so the onion juice soaks the bread and disintegrates. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients (5 min or so).
- 3Add all the remaining Meatball ingredients. Use hands to mix well.
- 4Measure out a heaped tablespoon and roll lightly to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- 5Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown all over – about 3 – 4 minutes.
- 6When they are browned but NOT cooked through, carefully transfer them onto a plate.
- 7Cooking & Sauce:
- 8Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil into the fry pan.
- 9Add 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.
- 10Carefully transfer the meatballs and any juices that have pooled on the plate into the Sauce.
- 11Cook the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally. Adjust Sauce salt and pepper to taste.
- 12While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta of choice.
- 13Serve the meatballs on pasta, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley if using.