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–+ servings
Italian Meatballs Recipe

Easy Italian Meatballs

These little bites of joy are ready in less than an hour! A great recipe for meatballs that are melting in your mouth. Be careful, they are addictive!
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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Meat
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Easy Italian Meatballs, Meatballs
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 343kcal

Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 1 lb beef lean, minced, preferably organic ( see notes)
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp parmesan grated
  • 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt himalayan pink
  • 1 tsp black pepper crushed
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¾ tsp chili flakes dried
  • 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 sprig rosemary fresh
  • 1 tsp salt

For the tomato sauce

  • 5 tomatoes
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 4 leaves basil

For the mayo sauce

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp chili flakes dried
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Start by putting in a bowl the ground beef, parmesan, chopped parsley, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, crushed black pepper, chili flakes and nutmeg.
  • Mix all the ingredients well and start rolling the assembled ingredients into a walnut-sized balls. This should yield around 54 meatballs.
  • Heat a frying pan with 4 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary.  Once the oil is warm, add the meatballs.
  • Cook the meat balls, add salt and continue until they are browned on all sides, 10 minutes.
  • Your meatballs are now ready to be served, either as a meal accompanied by sides or as an appetizer accompanied by the sauces below.

To make the tomato sauce:

  • In the meantime, warm the olive oil and garlic in asmall saucepan, and add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Cook until the tomatoes have melted into a sauce.

To make the spicy mayo sauce:

  • Mix the mayo in a small bowl with the minced garlic and the spices.

Notes

  • You can use different varieties of meat - you can mix the beef with pork or veal or both. You can add cold cuts as well.
  • You can use different types of cheese, though I recommend a hard cheese. If you want to stay in the Italian territory, I recommend Pecorino or aged Asiago. If you want to explore other varieties, I recommend Manchego or Vintage Gouda.
  • In terms of spices, you can mix and match whatever you prefer. If you want a more spicy hint, jalapeno powder will work well instead of dried chili flakes. Instead of nutmeg, you can try allspice, cumin or coriander. For more suggestions read the post.
  • The meatballs can be frozen - they will stay good for 8 weeks. You should let them thaw and then heat them in a pan with a bit of oil. I do not recommend microwaving as it will dry them out.
  • The nutritional values are based on the meatballs only - it excludes the sauces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving with dips | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 29g | Sodium: 771mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
Have you tried to make it?Mention @Italian_Kitchen_Confessions or tag #Italian_Kitchen_Confessions!