Sicilian Meatballs
Raisins and pignoli nuts are mixed with ground chuck, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and Pecorino Romano for a flavorful twist on the traditional meatball.
Servings: 30 meatballs
Ingredients
Meatball mix ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk or water and squeezed out
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano
- 1/2 cup currants or raisins soaked in water then squeezed out
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic grated
Remaining ingredients
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs see notes below
- 6 cups tomato sauce see notes below
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Add the meat to a very large bowl and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Next add all of the remaining meatball mix ingredients.
- Gently mix and distribute together the ingredients but try not to overmix.
- Set up a bowl of water for rolling the meatballs. Dip hands in water and grab enough of the meatball mix to make a golf ball sized meatball. Roll with palms to form the meatballs then place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat the process of dipping hands in water and rolling until all of the meatballs have been formed.
- Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel pan with olive oil to 350-370f. Fry meatballs until brown on all sides (about 10 minutes total). Work in batches and don't overload the pan. Place finished meatballs on a paper towel lined plate or onto a wire rack.
- Heat marinara sauce in a large pot to a gentle simmer. Cook the meatballs in the sauce for 20-30 minutes or until hot in the middle and tender. Serve with more sauce, Italian bread, and grated Pecorino Romano. Enjoy!
Notes
- If the meatball mix is too wet add a bit of the extra reserved dry breadcrumbs to thicken the mix. The meatballs should hold their shape after being rolled and placed on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- If using store-bought breadcrumbs add a 1/4 cup of milk into the mix to help rehydrate the breadcrumbs.
- Use this Sunday sauce or marinara sauce recipe. Or make your own!
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Reheat in sauce over moderate heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.7g | Protein: 12.1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 3.9g | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 7mg