Giant Meatball Recipe

Prepare breadcrumbs

Place the fresh breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour the 1/4 cup whole milk over them. Let soak for 5 minutes until softened.

Mix meatball

In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork. Add soaked breadcrumbs (squeeze out excess milk if large amount), the egg, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined — avoid overworking to keep the meatball tender.

Form and sear

Shape the mixture into one large ball roughly 1 to 1.25 pounds (about the whole mixture). Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, carefully place the meatball seam-side down and sear, turning to brown all sides, about 8–10 minutes total, using tongs to rotate so it develops a deep brown crust but does not burn.

Finish in sauce

Once seared, reduce heat to medium, gently nestle the meatball into the simmering spicy tomato sauce (see sauce directions) in the skillet. Spoon some sauce over the top, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). If not using an ovenproof skillet, transfer meatball and sauce to a 350°F (175°C) ovenproof dish and bake covered for 25–30 minutes.

Sweat aromatics

Heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp red pepper flakes and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build sauce

Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup water or broth, 1/2 tsp sugar (optional), 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes to let flavors meld and sauce thicken slightly.

Finish

Stir in torn basil leaves and taste; adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes for heat. Keep sauce at a gentle simmer; when ready, nestle the seared meatball into the sauce and continue cooking as directed in the meatball section so the meatball finishes cooking in the sauce.

Boil liquid

Bring 4 cups water and 1 tsp salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.

Whisk in polenta

Slowly pour 1 cup coarse polenta into the boiling water while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until the polenta is thick and creamy and the cornmeal is tender. If polenta becomes too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup additional water, a few tablespoons at a time.

Finish with mascarpone

Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 cup mascarpone, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan until melted and fully incorporated. Season with 1/4 tsp black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Keep warm while the meatball finishes cooking.

Spoon a generous portion of mascarpone polenta onto each plate (this recipe yields about 3–4 servings' worth of polenta portioning; see servings). Place the giant meatball on top of the polenta and ladle several spoonfuls of the spicy tomato sauce over the meatball and around the plate.

Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and the extra grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.