Nonna's Meatballs
Mimmo's favorite meatball recipe comes from his Nonna, who brought her own book of handwritten recipes over from Naples when she moved to the U.S. in the 1960s.
- Yield: 10-12 meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients
Meatballs
225g (1/2 pound) ground beef
225g (1/2 pound) ground pork
60g (approx. 3/4 cup) Parmigiana Reggiano, grated
5g (1 tablespoon) parsley, chopped
5g (1 tablespoon) basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs
2 slices white bread (crusts removed)
Heavy cream (enough for dredging)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add both meats, grated cheese, parsley, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, dredge the white bread in the heavy cream for 1-2 seconds, then add it to the meat mixture and mix until well combined.
- Heat Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan on medium heat (there should be enough olive oil to come halfway up the meatball when frying).
- Scale your meatballs to between 40-50g, roll them tight, and place them in the frying pan. Cook them for two minutes, then flip to get a nice crust. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Line a sheet pan with paper towels, and place the cooked meatballs on top to absorb any extra olive oil.
- For an extra pop of flavor, sprinkle some sea salt on top.
- Serve the meatballs by themselves, with pasta, or with Ciao Marinara Sauce or Ciao Traditional Marinara Sauce.
Note:
- If you want to slow cook these meatballs in a tomato sauce, add a drizzle of olive oil to a frying pan, set the flame to medium-high, and brown the meatballs for about 2-3 minutes. Then, add them to a pot of Ciao Marinara Sauce or Ciao Traditional Marinara Sauce and slow-cook them until they are fully cooked inside.