Italian Meatball Dinner

I was craving Italian (again), and Elizabeth Minchilli came to the rescue (again). Sometimes you just HAVE to have Italian food! Well for me it’s more frequent than not. But I digress.

These meatballs were served to Elizabeth Minchilli by her Italian Mother-in-law, and she now serves them to her friends and family. They are a mixture of beef, pork and turkey, browned in olive oil then slow cooked in San Marzano tomatoes with sauce. They’re perfect.

Serve with whatever makes you happy: crusty bread and a glass of wine or pasta and salad. Your entire house will smell heavenly, and this meal promises to put a smile on your face. Enjoy!

Italian Meatballs

(Adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli)

Recipe makes exactly 60 meatballs.

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup grated onion
1 cup bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to season
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 can -32 oz peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes

 In a large bowl, gently combine the pork, beef, turkey, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, and the 1/4 cup olive oil.

Form the mixture into about 60 small meatballs, 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet, about 10-20 at a time (depending on the size of your pan), so as not to overcrowd.

Cook, and turn the meatballs, until they are well browned all over. Remove from the pan, set aside on a plate topped with paper towels, and repeat the procedure to cook the rest.

Pour off all but about 1 TBSP of oil. Add the tomatoes to the oil in the skillet, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the bits of browned meat, and season with salt. Return the meatballs, and any juices that have formed on the plate, to the skillet.

Bring back to a low simmer, cover, and cook until done, about 30-40 minutes. Delizioso!

***Note: these freeze beautifully! I usually make a double batch (60) and freeze half.