It's in the details

No secrets to making Italian meatballs

These hearty meatballs are simmered in tomato sauce before serving.
These hearty meatballs are simmered in tomato sauce before serving.

Though you could hardly label me an Italian chef with a name like Wolfgang Puck, I can’t deny that some of my early fame was sparked by the gourmet California-style pizzas I began serving when I opened my first Spago back in 1982. Still, it surprises me even today when guests sing the praises of a recipe I never could have imagined would be associated with me. That recipe? Meatballs!

It wasn’t a very big leap, I must admit, to offering meatballs as a casual lunch specialty at Spago. Our guests loved them so much, though, that to this day they often demand the dish even when we dare to take it off the menu.

The recipe gets requested a lot, with people almost whispering when they ask me to “share the secrets” that make these meatballs so juicy and hearty tasting. But there really aren’t any earth-shaking secrets to divulge about these meatballs. The key to success is really about paying a lot of attention to easy-to-achieve little details that add up to something truly delicious and satisfying.

That starts with the way I make the meatballs extra light, moist and fluffy with a trick smart home cooks have used for ages: soaking the bread in milk before adding it to the mixture. That mixture also includes onions and garlic, sauteed in olive oil to develop their sweetness and aroma, some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lots of chopped fresh herbs. And let’s not forget the meat! I use a mixture of beef, chicken and veal for a more complex flavor. Feel free to substitute any other ground meats you like.

The way I mix, shape and cook the meatballs plays an important role, too. I use clean hands to combine the ingredients, which yields a lighter consistency as opposed to stirring them with a heavy spoon. I shape the meatballs by hand, too, easing them into a simmering tomato sauce that slowly and flavorfully cooks them through without drying them out or hardening them the way frying or baking could.

Once the meatballs are done, you can serve them any way you like: solo, tucked inside long Italian sandwich rolls, or even atop a mound of rice pilaf or creamy mashed potatoes. Of course, I like them best served the most traditional way: over pasta. But don’t give me spaghetti with such juicy, hearty meatballs. I prefer to use a sturdier pasta, like the dried strands known as bucatini. Top the whole thing with some freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, and you’ll have a dish that could well bring you fame as a great Italian chef.

JUICY ITALIAN-STYLE MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE WITH BUCATINI

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 slices slightly stale firm white bread

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

12 to 14 ounces ground beef

12 to 14 ounces ground chicken

12 to 14 ounces ground veal

1 large cage-free egg

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped

3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

6 cups store-bought tomato sauce

1 pound dried bucatini or other dried pasta strands

Directions:

Break up the bread into a mixing bowl. Add the milk, submerging the bread. Leave the bread to soak for about 10 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until glossy but not yet browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Put the ground beef, chicken and veal in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk from the soaked bread, and add the bread to the meats, discarding the milk. Add the egg, thyme and oregano, half of the parsley, and the onion-garlic mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the Parmesan. With clean hands, combine thoroughly.

Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in a wide pan with high sides. Fill a medium bowl with cold water. Moistening your hands in the water as needed to prevent sticking, shape the meat mixture about 1/2 cup at a time into even balls, gently and carefully easing them into the sauce.

Partially cover the pan, and simmer the meatballs gently, adjusting the heat as necessary, until they are cooked through, about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, tender but still slightly chewy, following the manufacturer’s suggested cooking time.

Drain the pasta. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and 2 tablespoons each of the remaining parsley and Parmesan; toss well. Spoon the meatballs and sauce on top, drizzle with some olive oil, and garnish with the last of the Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

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