Best Kathleens Meatballs Recipes

THE BEST MEATBALLS

The Best Meatballs image

I never knew how to make good meatballs until I found this recipe. I normally make mine with just ground beef and they still taste great. I've used the combination of pork, beef and veal and they are equally good. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety...it really does make a difference.

Provided by Geanine

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 50m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 ½ tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil

Steps:

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

Nutrition Facts : Calories 613.4 calories, Carbohydrate 6.6 g, Cholesterol 148.6 mg, Fat 53.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 26.6 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Sodium 333.1 mg, Sugar 0.3 g

SPAGHETTI AND SHRIMP MEATBALLS

Spaghetti and Shrimp Meatballs image

No beef or pork here! Just succulent shrimp amped up with panko, Pecorino Romano, fresh basil, and scallions and formed into balls. They're paired with our classic five-ingredient red sauce.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes Shrimp Recipes

Time 1h35m

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups finely chopped onion (from 1 large)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 cans (each 28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice, pureed in a blender or food processor
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup panko flakes
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (1 ounce), plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus more green tops for serving (from 1 bunch)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound spaghetti, spaghettini, or bucatini

Steps:

Red Sauce: Heat a straight-sided skillet over medium. Swirl in oil; add onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Transfer one-third of onion mixture to a bowl and reserve for meatballs. Add tomatoes to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.
Shrimp Meatballs: While sauce simmers, pulse shrimp to a paste in a food processor. Transfer to bowl with reserved onion mixture. Stir panko and milk into shrimp mixture until milk is absorbed. Add cheese, basil, scallions, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Use an ice cream scoop, or roll heaping tablespoons between dampened palms, to form thirty 1 1/2-inch balls. Drop into a pot of boiling salted water; cook until they turn opaque and float to top, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp meatballs to skillet with red sauce and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in same pot of boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Serve, topped with meatballs, more sauce, cheese, basil, and scallion tops.