Piazza Meatball Recipe

Hydrate breadcrumbs

Place the plain breadcrumbs in a medium bowl and pour the whole milk over them. Let sit 3–5 minutes until the breadcrumbs have absorbed the milk and become soft.

Add the ground beef, ground pork, grated Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper and dried oregano to the bowl with the hydrated breadcrumbs.

Using clean hands or a fork, gently combine the mixture until just blended. Do not overwork — stop when ingredients are uniformly mixed.

Portion the mixture into roughly 1-ounce (about 2 tbsp) balls for appetizer-size meatballs. Roll each portion between your palms to form compact, even spheres. Yield: about 24 meatballs.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Brown on all sides, turning every 2–3 minutes, about 6–8 minutes total until nicely caramelized; they will not need to be fully cooked through.

Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve skillet drippings for the sauce.

Wipe the skillet lightly if it has excessive burnt bits, leaving any fond. Place skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.

Add the minced shallot and cook until softened and translucent, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to develop flavor. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, sugar, salt, black pepper, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Return the browned meatballs to the sauce, nestling them into the liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C) and sauce has thickened slightly.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt or red pepper flakes as desired.

Preheat broiler to high (if toasting baguette last-minute) or prepare plates for serving with crostini/toasted baguette slices.

Spoon warm tomato sauce onto a serving platter or individual plates. Arrange meatballs on top so each crostini can be topped with one meatball.

Place a meatball on each toasted baguette slice, spoon a little sauce over it, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and garnish with a torn basil leaf. Alternatively serve meatballs in a bowl with sauce and extra bread on the side for dipping.

Serve immediately while hot. Leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat.