Sunday dinner is my favorite meal of the week. It is the one time that everyone is home, eating at the same time, and enjoying each other’s company – minus the occasional reminder for the kids to put away the cell phones.
Jim and I both love to cook and best of all, we enjoy cooking together. So when it was time to plan out our Sunday family dinner menu, the Italian side of him brought out the idea to make a classic meatball recipe.
Now, we aren’t talking about the size of the frozen meatballs that you purchase in the grocery store for appetizers.
Traditional Italian meatballs are much larger and in fact, can be a meal among themselves. They size can be compared to a tennis ball!
You can serve them as their own entrée with a side of marinara sauce, or serve them on top of pasta.
We let our meatballs cook in the crockpot for several hours while absorbing the flavors of our home-made canned pasta sauce made straight from the garden last summer (see recipe here – Canned Pasta Sauce Recipe).
The aroma made everyone’s mouth water in anticipation of the upcoming dinner.
And don’t forget, if you have extra time, you can even make your own homemade noodles. (see recipe here – How to Make Your Own Pasta Noodles)
1 1/2 lbs of sweet Italian sausage 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef 1/2 large onion, diced finely
3 eggs 1/2 red pepper, diced finely 1/2 green pepper, diced finely 6 cloves garlic 3 cups of breadcrumbs (we mix traditional and italian blends)
1 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese 1 3/4 cups of red wine (or water) 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix 3/4 -1 cup of olive oil for browning the meatballs
Instructions:
1. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT for the wine/water into a large bowl.
2. Pour 3/4 cup of wine on top of the mixture and begin to mix using your hands. Once ingredients begin to become blended, add the remaining wine/water. Continue working mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
3. Roll meatballs to desired size using the palms of your hands. **HINT — dip your hands into warm water prior to rolling the mixture. This will decrease the amount of mixture that becomes stuck on your hands. Reapply water as needed.
Making Homemade Goodness
4. Next, in a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Once heated add a few meatballs to the pan, making sure to leave room to turn each of them. *We placed 4 or 5 meatballs in at one time. Brown each side. *They will not be cooked through at this point.
5. Remove browned meatballs and drain on a paper towel. Repeat the process until all meatballs are browned.
6. Add meatballs to a crockpot and add enough pasta sauce to just cover the top of each meatball. Our 6 1/2 quart crockpot held 12 tennis ball sized meatballs.
7. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours, or until cooked through.
8. Eat as an entrée, or add it to a bed of pasta.
Enjoy!
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Mary and Jim
Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of sweet Italian sausage
1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
3 eggs
1/2 large onion, diced finely
1/2 red pepper, diced finely
1/2 green pepper, diced finely
6 cloves garlic
3 cups of breadcrumbs, we mix traditional and italian blends
1 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 3/4 cups of red wine, or water
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix
3/4 -1 cup of olive oil for browning the meatballs
Instructions
Place all the ingredients EXCEPT for the wine/water into a large bowl.
Pour 3/4 cup of wine on top of the mixture and begin to mix using your hands. Once ingredients begin to become blended, add the remaining wine/water. Continue working mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Roll meatballs to desired size using the palms of your hands. **HINT -- dip your hands into warm water prior to rolling the mixture. This will decrease the amount of mixture that becomes stuck on your hands. Reapply water as needed.
In a large skilled, heat olive oil on medium heat. Once heated add a few meatballs to the pan, making sure to leave room to turn each of them. *We placed 4 or 5 meatballs in at one time. Brown each side. *They will not be cooked through at this point.
Remove browned meatballs and drain on a paper towel. Repeat the process until all meatballs are browned.
Add meatballs to a crockpot and add enough pasta sauce to just cover the top of each meatball. Our 6 1/2 quart crockpot held 12 tennis ball sized meatballs.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours, or until cooked through.
In Italy, you won't find spaghetti and large meatballs on the same plate. Spaghetti and meatballs, a dish that usually features meatballs more than one inch in diameter, is quintessentially Italian-American. That said, you can find similar dishes in southern Italy that feature egg-based pasta and small meatballs.
In Italy, you won't find spaghetti and large meatballs on the same plate. Spaghetti and meatballs, a dish that usually features meatballs more than one inch in diameter, is quintessentially Italian-American. That said, you can find similar dishes in southern Italy that feature egg-based pasta and small meatballs.
"Al forno" simply means "baked in an oven," and it's the most customary way you'll find meatballs and pasta in the same dish together in Italy. While spaghetti and meatballs may not be so common, a casserole-style dish of pasta and meatballs certainly is - think baked ziti!
Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American dish consisting of spaghetti, tomato sauce and meatballs. Originally inspired by similar dishes from southern Italy, the modern version of spaghetti and meatballs was developed by Italian immigrants in the USA.
American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!
Although meatballs cooked in tomato sauce and served with pasta is likely what most Americans first imagine when they think of them, this meatball preparation is virtually nonexistent in Italy. In most regions, meatballs are just fried and eaten as is—enjoyed as a snack or served as a second course without any sauce.
It's worth noting that Italians don't even use a knife to cut their pasta. This is because pasta dishes, including spaghetti, are meant to be enjoyed as they are, without cutting. If a fork isn't enough to twirl the spaghetti, then Italians will keep twirling until the entire strand is wrapped around the fork.
Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.
Sicilian meatballs are a delightful alternative to traditional meatballs. Raisins and pignoli nuts are combined with ground chuck, Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs and cooked in a tomato sauce until tender.
The “spaghetti and meetballs”, as americans know it, does not exist in Italy. However it is not uncommon in southern Italy to eat “spaghetti e polpette”. No gigantic meatballs, though, but a lot of little, soft meatballs in Italian ragù.
Called polpettes, Italian meatballs are often served sauceless and are much smaller than the meatballs you're probably used to. Traditional Italian meatballs typically contain equal portions of meat and soaked bread, and other additions such as egg and vegetables.
A4: Italian pasta commonly uses durum wheat semolina, providing a higher protein content. American pasta, on the other hand, may incorporate various flours like all-purpose or enriched varieties, impacting the texture and nutritional composition.
Italian pasta making focuses on the ideal elastic but not sticky balance. Pasta dough is usually rested briefly so the gluten can relax and produce a more tender pastry when rolled out. Sometimes, American pasta may be prepared with a greater hydration level because eggs are added.
The majority of these immigrants were impoverished and had only been able to afford meat occasionally in Italy, but it was much more affordable in the US. Meat became more of a staple and families put meatballs on the table more often. Then came the sauce.
The dish evolved as Italian immigrants combined their culinary traditions with American ingredients. They began serving spaghetti with larger American-style meatballs and tomato sauce, creating a satisfying meal.
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