Ingredients
There's something incredibly comforting about meatballs. This
recipe uses veal, or a combination of veal and pork if you prefer,
to create deliciously succulent meatballs in a rich, tomato sauce.
Serve with pasta, rice or simply a hulk of crusty bread to mop up
the juices.
- 1 thick slice Italian-style bread, crust removed
- Milk, for soaking
- 650g (1lb 5oz) minced veal or a combination of minced pork and veal
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4tbsp finely grated Parmesan
- 2tbsp flat-leaf parlsey, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 2-3tbsp olive oil
- 2x400g tins chopped tomatoes, or 500ml (16fl oz) ready-made tomato and herb pasta sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Extra flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Method
- Break the bread into pieces and soak in a little milk until soft. Squeeze dry, then crumble into a large bowl. Add the mince, garlic, Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest and beaten egg, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. To check the seasoning, fry a small amount of the mixture until cooked and taste it, then adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Form the mixture in 5cm balls, then roll them in flour and shake off any excess. At this stage, you can refrigerate the meatballs for up to 4 hours, if desired.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6). Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat, add the meatballs and cook until browned all over (you may need to do this in batches). Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
- Add the chopped tomatoes or pasta sauce with the whole garlic cloves to the frying pan and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the frying pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally. Remove the whole garlic cloves and garnish with a little parsley before serving.
