Ingredients
Italian Meatballs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk (60ml)
- 250 g pork mince (ground pork) (9oz)
- 250 g veal mince (ground veal) or beef (9oz)
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan (20g / 0.7oz)
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley (or ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley)
- ¼ cup very finely chopped red onion
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Easy Pasta Sauces
- 1 batch marinara sauce (optional)
- OR
- 1 batch arrabbiata sauce (spicy) (optional)
To Serve
- Spaghetti or pasta of choice
Instructions
- Choose Your Sauce: Decide between classic marinara sauce or spicy arrabbiata sauce. Both sauces can be prepared a couple of days ahead or right before cooking the meatballs, just warm them up once the meatballs are ready.
- Cook Pasta: Start cooking spaghetti or fettuccini according to the package instructions. This can be done concurrently while preparing the meatballs.
- Prepare Breadcrumb Mixture: Preheat the oven grill or broiler on high and line two baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and pour over the milk. Stir with a fork and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to soak.
- Make Meatball Mixture: To the soaked breadcrumbs, add pork mince, veal mince (or beef), grated Parmesan, dried parsley (or fresh), finely chopped red onion, beaten egg, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until all ingredients are just combined, being careful not to overmix. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Form Meatballs: Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the meat mixture, then roll each portion into smooth, even balls by hand.
- Grill Meatballs: Arrange the meatballs on the lined baking trays, spacing them a couple of inches apart. Place under the preheated grill/broiler for approximately 10 minutes or until the tops are golden and meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve: Warm up your chosen sauce if needed, combine the meatballs with the sauce and serve hot over the cooked pasta for a delicious meal.
Notes
- The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen for convenient future meals.
- Use fresh parsley instead of dried for brighter flavor if preferred.
- Broil or grill cooking method gives a nice golden top similar to pan-frying but with less mess.
- Be careful not to overmix the meatball mixture to keep them tender.
- You can substitute veal with ground beef if veal is unavailable.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Italian
