RECIPE: Anna’s Veal Meatballs
December 27, 2011 8:32PM
Dean Zanella has tweaked his mother's and grandmother's recipes for meatballs (below) and gnocchi, but only slightly. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times
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Updated: February 20, 2012 8:00AM
Simmering the meatballs in tomato sauce renders them oh-so tender and the sauce extra-flavorful. One meatball tip: Don’t use dried bread crumbs from a can.
MAKES ABOUT 30
(2-INCH) MEATBALLS
1 quart tomato sauce (preferably homemade) 3 pounds ground veal 8 ounces grated 8 ounces fresh bread crumbs (from Italian bread, crusts removed) 3 eggs ¼ cup chopped fresh Kosher salt and black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Italian parsley
Heat tomato sauce over a moderate flame.
Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl and with your hands, gently mix together. Form small amount of meat into ball and drop in hot tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes or so, then remove and taste; adjust seasoning as necessary.
Form meat into balls about 2 inches in diameter and place in sauce. When all meatballs are in pot, reduce flame to a simmer and cover. Cook meatballs for about 1 hour, from time to time gently scraping bottom of pot to keep sauce from burning.
Remove from heat and serve, or cool and refrigerate. The meatballs taste the best the next day.
Dean Zanella, Rhapsody
Nutrition facts per serving:
134 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugars, 13 g protein, 383 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
