Makes 28 balls of meat
1 lb. ground lean beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2-3 large eggs, whisked
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbls. chopped Italian parsley
1/2 small garlic glove, minced
1 small yellow onion grated
1 1/2 to 2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
Marinara sauce of choice
Pasta of choice, I use ziti or some other thick pasta NEVER angel hair...
In a bowl, combine beef, veal and pork. Add the cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend the ingredients together. Add 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Then half of the whisked eggs. You want the mixture moist but still holds its shape when you make the meatball so you may need to add more egg or more bread crumbs. Make the balls 2 1/2 to 3 inches in size. I use an ice cream scoop.
Heat the oil in large saute pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the meatballs in batches. Once one side is nice and brown and crisp, turn. Do the same for the other side. My mother in law would put enough oil in the pan to practically submerge the ball. In this day of healthy eating, I usually have enough oil to come 1/2 way the ball. Remove the ball and put on a paper towel to drain.
Meanwhile, heat up your marinara. When the sauce is nice and bubbly, add the meatballs until they are submerged. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. My husband always does the taste test to see if they're done. Cook your pasta until al dente, drain, put pasta back in pot, turn heat to med high, add a large scoop of sauce to pasta and stir to coat pasta. Add more sauce if needed but don't over sauce. We simply want the sauce coated. Put pasta in a bowl and serve meatballs and remaining sauce in another bowl. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crushed red peppers.
