Nonna Flavia's Meatballs

                                   “They Taste like Nonna Flavias Meatballs”

                                       
Meatballs Amalfitana Style

Over the past several years, my husband Richard and I have visited Zia Flavia on Italy's Amalfi coast, where she resides in the town of Angri, the place of my maternal origins. Even if we drop by spur of the moment,
Zia has a refrigerator stocked with cheese, salami, olives, and fresh fruit, which she slices up quickly, her motions resembling an Italian samurai!  When Zia prepares for your visit, you will feast on traditional Napolitano cuisine at its best.

Last summer, on our final day in Angri before heading south to Puglia, Flavia bid us farewell. We did not leave empty-handed. Along with hugs and kisses came a bag of freshly picked local San Marzano tomatoes, a bouquet of basil, and a Tropea onion. With this simple trio of ingredients, I would be able to create a symphony of flavor.

Before arriving at our villa, my husband and I stopped at the supermercato to purchase the ingredients for making meatballs. I would make the fresh sauce, and we would have a leisurely dinner after the beach the next day.

We invited our cousins to come and dine on this simple, but always comforting dish of macaroni and meatballs. At first bite, my cousin's daughter, Melissa, exclaimed: “these polpette taste just like Nonna Flavia’s.” The ultimate compliment, at that moment, I felt crowned as “The Meatball Queen”.

  Meatballs Amalfitana Style

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1   small-medium onion finely diced

Salt and ground black pepper

3 large garlic cloves, finely diced

2 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

3 pounds – one pound each of ground beef, pork, and veal 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Over a medium flame, heat a saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the onion and a half teaspoon of salt. Cook until softened.

Add the garlic and saute for about one minute. Remove from the heat, then transfer to a large mixing bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the panko and 2 cups of water. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes until absorbed and softened.

Mix with your hands until a smooth paste, and then add to the large bowl with the onion mixture.
Add grated cheese, beaten eggs, parsley, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper.

Add the meat and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Roll into balls using your hands and place them on a prepared baking sheet.

Cook on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on the baking sheet set on a wire rack.

Carefully place meatballs into the prepared tomato sauce and continue to cook for another ten minutes in the sauce. 

Notes:

Recipe for basic Ragu (tomato sauce) under Recipes on this Blog.

Freeze extra meatballs after cooking and cooling. Just drop frozen meatballs in hot tomato sauce when ready to use.