Big Italian Meatballs
Who doesn't love a meatball? This is the dinner to make when you want to show someone how much you love them or when you know you need some self-care. Hearty, saucy, old-school nourishment that feels like it's doing your soul good.
There are two tricks to making the best meatballs in town: to keep the meatballs fluffy and light, don't over-mix when combining the ingredients, and to stop your meatballs from falling apart when frying, make sure you refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes beforehand. You could make them the day before if it's easier.
These meatballs are bigger than usual, and rather than serve them with pasta, we suggest serving them with crusty bread, or a side of polenta or mash.
Ingredients 13
For The Meatballs
500 g pork mince
500 g lean beef mince
1 brown onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch basil, leaves picked and finely sliced, stems reserved
50 g parmesan, about 1/2 cup grated
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, cracked
2 tbsp olive oil
For The Tomato Sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tins tomatoes, diced
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
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Method 7
For The Meatballs
Put the and into a large bowl. Grate the on the coarse side of a box grater, finely chop the and add both to the bowl with the mince.
Pick the leaves from the stems, reserving the stems for the sauce and a few leaves for garnishing, then finely slice the rest of the leaves and add to the mince bowl. Add the to the bowl, along with the , , and . Mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined, but be careful not to over-mix as this will make the meatballs dense and tough.
Using your hands, roll the meatball mixture into large balls, about 80g - 100g each. You should end up with 12 to 14 meatballs. Put them on a plate and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to stop them from falling apart when frying.
In a large frypan over medium heat, add the . Add half the meatballs to the pan searing for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
For The Sauce
Finely chop the then add to the frypan that the meatballs were in, along with the reserved basil stems and fry for about a minute or until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low, add the , , and , stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the browned meatballs on top of the sauce in a single layer, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and let it gently simmer for 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Remove from the heat, top with the extra and serve straight from the pan.
Helpful tips
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Notes
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