Ingredients
- 3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup pecorino, grated
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 14 cup
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted for 2 minutes in a 400 degree F oven
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.
In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, salt, and pepper and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a size somewhere between a tennis ball and a golf ball.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Serve warm or at room temperature, note that Italians would rarely serve meatballs with pasta.
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By soop2nuts
on February 25, 2013
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awesome recipe pine nuts were a great touch added a little cayanne pepper and a couple tablespoons of parmigian regiano.
By lexi111
Portland, OR
on May 02, 2012
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Just made my Italian husband very happy! He said the meatballs were better than Nana's, Mom's, and Danny Devito's Restaurant. High praise indeed. I loved the pine nuts. They added another depth of flavor. These are the new gold standard! I almost hated to put them in a sauce for fear of losing that yummy crispy outside.
By dcarney0315
Mentor, OH
on March 10, 2012
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Forget the rest - this will become your favorite meatball recipe! Texture and flavor out of this world whether you fry or bake. Will transform your basic pasta sauce into something delectable. I triple for leftover meatball subs - tender and juicy. I don't use the pine nuts. Cannot believe this only has 10 reviews - I guess this gem is still a secret! Made at least 4 times now.
Read all 13 reviews