Truly Best Italian Meatballs Recipe

This Italian meatballs recipe is NOT just about seasonings cheese, herbs, garlic, etc. and a round shape.

Yes, but this is just partly true!

Unlike hamburgers, which are best cooked rare or medium-rare, Italian meatballs must be cooked through until well done!

TIP!
If you want to make your best Italian meatballs never add garlic and parsley powder as I have seen where else. Don't add those artificial ingredients but instead use fresh ones for an authentic taste!

Ingredients: approximately 15 meatballs

- 2 slices white bread (crust discarded), turn into small bits
- ½ cup milk (ml.118)
- ¾ lb (gr.340) ground beef
- ¼ lb (gr.113) ground pork
- ¼ cup (gr.57) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons (gr.28) minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¾ teaspoon (gr.4) salt
- ground black pepper
- about 1¼ cups (ml.300) vegetable oil for frying

Preparation: about 30 minutes

1. Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl, mashing occasionally with a fork, until a smooth paste forms about a few minutes.

2. Mix all meatballs ingredients, beef, pork, egg, grated Parmesan Cheeses or Parmigiano and Grana, parsley, then include the bread and milk mixture with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

3. Lightly form 3 tablespoons (gr.42) of the mixture into a round meatball, repeat with the remaining mixture to form approximately 15 meatballs.

4. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan. Add one by one the meatballs in a single layer, and when the edge of the meatballs dipped in oil sizzles, turn around several times. This just until nicely browned on all sides, a few minutes.

5. Transfer the browned meatballs to a paper towel and set aside. Repeat, if necessary with remaining meatballs.

Now you are done with the meatballs preparation, you just need to add them into the tomato sauce, which I will show you how to do.

Ingredients for a simple tomato sauce

- 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- 1 28 oz (800g) Italian peeled tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced fresh basil leaves
- salt and ground black pepper

Sauce and meatballs cooking about 50 minutes

1. Discard the frying oil from the pan, leaving behind any browned bits of meat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil along with the garlic, sauté just until the garlic is golden, then remove it.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes, and simmer gently until the sauce thicken, 10 minutes. Add the minced basil leaves, add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Now it's time to add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, and keep simmering turning them occasionally until well cooked through, about 40 minutes.

Ready to be served!

Italian Meatballs Recipe "Mondeghili" The Milanese Variation

While in Italy the term refers to a meatball preparation predominantly round minced meat. In Milan that same kind of preparation is indicated by the term mondeghilo.

The word mondeghilo actually derives from Arab "al bunduc". It is these people who taught the Spanish how to use and pack a ball of minced meat, then fried.

Mondeghilo is one of the words which 150 years of Spanish rule have left in Milanese dialect.

This is the recipe variation for Italian meatballs that I have previously explained. The recipe was created to recover beef leftovers, and plus enriched with sausage, ham or salami, mortadella, all this to give more taste.

As you will see there is NO tomato sauce for this Italian meatballs recipe.

Ingredients: serves 4

- 14 oz (400g) beef
- 4 oz (115g) sausages
- 4 oz (115g) mortadella
- 2 eggs
- 2 oz (60g) Parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 slice of bread (soft part only)
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- nutmeg
- breadcrumbs, handful
- oil 3 cups (700ml)
- milk 1/2 cup (120ml)
- salt & pepper

Preparation: 30 minutes

1. Mixing:
Mix the ground meat with fine strips of mortadella, chopped sausage, garlic and parsley. Add crumb of bread soaked in milk and then squeezed, add eggs and grated Parmesan. Season with a sprinkling of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Use mixture to form slightly oval balls of four or five centimeters each.

2. Frying:
Fry the meatballs diping in plenty of oil and making them well browned on one side and the other. Place meatballs on a paper towel to dry and serve hot. With this Italian meatballs recipe is traditionally served a side dish of potatoes

Well I hope that you have a better insghit of Italian meatballs and if you have any question ASK here: Italian Food Questions.