Italian Meatballs

This recipe is adapted from Cooks Country's Meatballs with Marinara. This recipe is the only one I will ever use. Double the recipe and freeze half fora quick week night meal. The milk, bread, and the meat combination make these very moist and tender.

Onion mixture
1/8 cup olive oil
1 1/5 onions , chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Meat balls
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread
1/2 cup milk
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/8 teaspoon all spice
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)


Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. For the onion mixture: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer onion mixture to large bowl and set aside to cool.

Mash bread and milk in bowl with reserved onion mixture until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except ground beef, to bowl and mash with a potato masher to combine. Add beef and knead with hands until well combined - do not overmix. Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch meatballs (palm sized - you should have about 16 meatballs), place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until well browned, about 20 minutes.

Simmer for 15 minutes in your favorite marinara sauce.

Tuscan Meatball Soup

A very hearty and comforting soup. You may substitute good store-bought sweet Italian sausage for the ground pork and seasonings. I like making my own as I can better control the flavor (I like lots of garlic and fennel).

Soup base:

2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter

1 cup chopped carrots

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 bay leaves

Meatballs:

1 lb. pork sausage

1 egg

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 slices white bread torn into small pieces

¼ c. milk

About 1 teaspoon total of dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, etc)

1-2 teaspoons sweet paprika

½-1 teaspoon fennel seeds (toasting in a dry pan in recommended but optional)

Red Pepper flakes

2 T. chopped Italian parsley

1-2 cloves garlic minced

Dash of Worcestershire

Remaining ingredients:

8-10 cups chicken stock

½ cup white wine

15 oz. can of cannelini beans (drained)

¾ lb. small sized pasta (preferably one that cooks in about 8 minutes)

Bunch of kale (or your favorite green)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bay leaves. Sauté carrots, onion, and celery until onions are soft and translucent. Make the meatballs while the veggies sauté.

In a bowl, pour milk over the torn pieces of bread and set aside. Beat the egg and add the parsley, pepper flakes, salt and pepper, garlic, parmesan, paprika, fennel, and Worcestershire to it. Squeeze excess milk out of bread. Combine sausage, bread, and egg mixture. Mix thoroughly, but gently so as not to over mix and toughen the meat. Use a melon-baller to portion out the mixture and wet your hands to more easily roll into little balls. These should be small, bite sized meatballs.

Add white wine to the pot and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cut kale off of the ribs and into bite sized strips. Once the chicken stock is simmering, add the meatballs and the pasta. (They should both cook in about 8 minutes.) Add the kale after a few minutes so that the kale, pasta, and meatballs are done cooking at the same time. Add cannelini beans.

Ladle into warm bowls, finish with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Kristan Davies