Gramma Pinelli is the grandmother of my Uncle Joe, who my mom's oldest sister (Aunt Karen) married. This recipe made it to Aunt Karen, who gave it to my mom, who gave it to me when, years ago, I started rethinking what my first collection of poetry would look like.
Along the way, everyone made tweaks, including me. My mom has an entirely new meatball recipe these days. I hope I'll get to try it next time I'm home, but this is the closest to the dish I grew up eating.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb
- ground beef (or a mix of ground meats)
- 1 c
- stuffing mix (or bread crumbs)
- ¾ c
- whole milk
- 1 c
- parmesan cheese (shredded)
- to taste
- salt
pepper
oregano
basil
thyme
parsley
red pepper flakes
Red Sauce
- 32 oz
- canned tomatoes
- 1 c
- beef stock
- to taste
- salt
pepper
oregano
basil
thyme
parsley
red pepper flakes
Preparation
- Create a simple red sauce:
- In a blender, combine canned tomatoes (32 oz) & stock (1 c), and blend until uniform.
- Transfer the mixture to a skillet or sauce pan, and heat at medium-low.
- Add salt, pepper, & other spices (to taste).
It's probably more salt than you think is enough, but remember that it will taste saltier as the sauce thickens. - While you prepare the rest of the meal, let the sauce to simmer until it reaches your desired thickness, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Soak the bread crumbs (1 c) in the milk (¾ c) for 5–10 minutes to make mushy.
- To the bread crumbs, add parmesan (1 c) & seasoning (all to taste): salt & pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley, thyme, & basil.
Obviously, you can substitute any seasonings here. Other great options are ginger, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, & asafetida (which is a great substitute for garlic & onion). - Add raw ground beef (1 lb), mix thoroughly, and roll into balls.
I prefer golfball-sized meatballs, but they're traditionally larger. - Let the meatballs cook in your sauce—very low heat for a few hours.
If you're short on time, bake for 20 minutes at 325°, then allow them to finish in sauce.
About this recipe
- Makes enough for 3–4 people.
- As always, the quality of your ingredients really matters, but especially for such a simple dish. If you have the time & willingness to reduce your own stock from chicken/beef/pork bones, use that as the base for your sauce. If you can afford & have a meat CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) available to you, buy their meat.
- Remember to plan at least two hours for the red sauce to simmer to a palatable thickness. This sauce, by the way, is the star of the show. You can honestly make any ground beef taste good with seasoning, but the sauce ties everything together.
- I like to make these with pasta for a simple dish. Personally, I think it pairs best with something substantial like fettucine or linguine.