Nonnas Old Country Italian Meatballs Recipes

NONNA'S TRADITIONAL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the ground beef and ground pork in a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the milk, eggs, garlic, basil, parsley, cayenne and salt. Process until pureed.
• Add the wet ingredients to the meat and mix to combine. Then add breadcrumbs and Romano, and gently combine; be careful not to overwork the meat.
• With the help of an ice cream scoop (for even sizing), shape the mixture into 2-ounce meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 30 minutes.
• Add the meatballs to the Roasted Tomato Sauce and simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a deep lasagna pan, add the garlic, anchovies, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt. Place the pan on the stovetop and saute for 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Remove from the heat and add the canned tomatoes and oregano; mix well.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the tomatoes are nicely charred on top, 45 minutes. Let cool, then blend to your liking with an immersion blender; we like our sauce a bit chunky, but feel free to puree if you choose.

NONNA'S SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix pork and beef in a bowl with your hands, then add garlic. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Add breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley and mix well. Scoop into meatballs and bake on a baking sheet for 30 minutes.
• Simmer meatballs in Meat Sauce for 2 hours.
• Brown beef short rib in olive oil in a saucepan on all sides until browned, about 2 minutes each side. Add garlic and onions and brown over low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste plus 1 paste can water, then the tomato sauce plus 1 sauce can water, and stir until blended. Add pepper flakes, sugar, salt, pepper and bay leaf and bring to bubbling. Turn temperature to low and simmer, covered, for 8 hours. Remove beef short rib and bay leaf before serving.