roasted italian meatballs

Ingredients:

½ pound ground sirloin

¼ pound ground pork 

¼ pound ground veal 

1 cup dry bread crumbs 

¼ cup freshly ground Italian Pecorino cheese (1 ounce) 

¼ cup freshly ground Italian Parmesan cheese (1 ounce), plus extra for serving 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten 

1/3 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti 

½ cup water

2 tablespoons good olive oil, for brushing meatballs before cooking

32 ounces of marinara sauce, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the beaten egg, wine, and ½ cup water. Combine lightly but thoroughly with a fork, taking care not to overwork the mixture or it will become dense.

Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (a small rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop does a great job) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.

Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. 

The meatballs can be a couple days in advance. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. They can also be frozen, cool completely, place on a clean tray, cover tightly with foil and freeze, then place in Ziploc bags and freeze for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

To serve, place the meatballs into warm marinara sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until heated through. Serve on top of cooked spaghetti or polenta.

Makes about 16 meatballs