Italian · Main · Medium
Italian Meatballs
Big, juicy meatballs with a three meat blend, garlic, and Parmesan, simmered in marinara until meltingly tender. Sunday dinner in a single pot.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Italian Meatballs, in 5 ideas
- The three meat blend is traditional for a reason: beef for depth, pork for fat, veal for tenderness. One meat alone is never as good.
- The milk soaked breadcrumb panade is the real secret; skip it and you get dense, bready meatballs.
- Mix with your hands and stop the moment it comes together; every extra squeeze makes them tougher.
- Brown for color, not doneness; finishing in the sauce infuses the meatballs with flavor and keeps them juicy.
- These freeze beautifully in their sauce, so make a double batch and thank yourself later.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground veal
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups marinara sauce
How to make it
Directions
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes until they absorb it all. This panade is what keeps the meatballs tender.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, and veal with the soaked breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined; overmixing makes tough meatballs.
- Roll into golf ball sized meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches across. Dampen your hands with water to keep the mixture from sticking.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, about 2 minutes per side, just to develop a crust; they will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Return all the meatballs to the pot, pour in the marinara, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes, turning once, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve over pasta or in toasted rolls.
Grate your own Parmesan from a wedge instead of buying pre-grated; the flavor is far stronger, so you use less, and a wedge costs less per ounce.