Description
I’ve been making these meatballs for as long as I can remember — a copycat to Mrs. Parente’s — my friend Lauren’s mom’s meatballs, which were the best I ever tasted. It’s one of those dinners that have remained in my dinner repertoire because they’re too good to forget. Pan searing them gives them a little bit of a “crust”. Eat them served with sauce alongside, or plop them into sauce if you prefer.
Ingredients
1.25 lb. ground round beef
1 egg
⅓ cup quality seasoned breadcrumbs
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb. spaghetti or other pasta
Homemade pasta sauce, or 1 jar good quality marinara
Instructions
1. Heat a large pot with water and add salt.
2. Mix the ground round, breadcrumbs, egg, spices, milk, parmesan, and garlic using a wooden spoon. Add a little more milk, or a bit more breadcrumbs if needed to make the mixture a good, sticky consistency.
3. Set up a plate nearby to hold the meatballs as they come out of the skillet, and a piece of foil or another plate to cover them to keep them warm while the rest of the batch cooks.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the pasta while the meatballs are cooking.
5. Warm a 10” or 12” non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. If using a skillet that isn’t non-stick, add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan and swirl to cover.
6. Using a cookie scoop or your clean hands, scoop out enough meat to form a meatball about 1 ½” in diameter, slightly flattening each one in your hands so there’s more surface area for the meat on the pan. Fill the pan with meatballs, cooking over medium-heat and watching them closely, using a fork to turn each one when it’s got a nice, brown crust.
7. When cooked on both sides, remove each meatball to the plate and keep covered. Taste, and sprinkle with salt if needed.
8. In a saucepan, warm homemade or good quality marinara sauce.
9. When all the meatballs are cooked, drain the pasta and add to pasta bowls. Top with sauce and meatballs, and serve with parmesan cheese.
Notes
If you have access to them, buy high quality seasoned bread crumbs from an Italian market. I found crumbs sold as Sicilian Breading at Glorioso’s in Milwaukee, and love them so much, I order from Glorioso’s directly. Progresso or a similar brand work well, too.
Using a good quality frying pan will make this, and anything you make, turn out that much better. I have owned and gone through many, many pans in my life, and none of them hold a candle to All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized pans. I prefer a non-stick pan, and these are non-stick throughout. They’re not coated with anything and as a result, you can use a fork or a metal utensil (gently — don’t go crazy), without nicking or scratching the pan, which on a surfaced pan, ruins the pan and renders it unsafe to use. This All-Clad line also has a plated bottom, which keeps them from ever warping, and ensures that your food cooks evenly. I would write a love letter to these pans if I could.
I love dinners that give you a “two-fer”, and these leftover meatballs make excellent meatball subs the next night on toasted on a piece of fresh Italian bread with sauce, provolone, and grated parmesan.
Recommended tools and equipment: 12″ fry pan such as All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized, cookie scoop.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: dinner, pasta, beef
- Cuisine: Italian