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House-made Meatballs Recipe

Name: Lynora's Italian Restaurants House-Made Meatballs Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (80/20); 0.5 lb ground pork; 0.75 cups fresh breadcrumbs; 0.25 cups whole milk; 1 each large egg; 0.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tbs minced fresh parsley; 1 tbs minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried); 2 tsp minced garlic; 0.25 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (for rolling, optional); 1.5 tsp Kosher salt; 0.75 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbs olive oil (for browning); 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil; 0.5 cups yellow onion, finely diced; 1 tsp minced garlic; 1 cups crushed tomatoes (canned, 28 oz equivalent); 1 cups tomato passata or strained tomatoes; 0.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 0.5 tsp dried basil; 0.125 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 0.5 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 0.75 tsp Kosher salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 4 each fresh basil leaves (for finishing, optional); 0.25 cups grated Parmesan or Romano; 8 each toasted Italian bread or crostini (optional)

Inspired by Lynora's Italian Restaurant

Time1h

Serves6

Make House-made Meatballs Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1/2 lb ground pork

3/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cups whole milk

1 each large egg

1/2 cups Grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs minced fresh parsley

1 tbs minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (for rolling, optional)

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbs olive oil (for browning)

Sauce

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cups yellow onion, finely diced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cups crushed tomatoes (canned, 28 oz equivalent)

1 cups tomato passata or strained tomatoes

1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 tsp Dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 each fresh basil leaves (for finishing, optional)

To Serve

1/4 cups grated Parmesan or Romano

8 each toasted Italian bread or crostini (optional)

Method

Meatballs

Prepare panade

In a small bowl combine the fresh breadcrumbs and whole milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until the crumbs absorb the milk and form a soft panade.

Mix meatball mixture

In a large bowl add the ground beef and ground pork. Add the softened panade, grated Parmesan, minced parsley, minced oregano, minced garlic, egg, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, and 0.75 tsp black pepper. Gently mix with clean hands or a sturdy spoon just until evenly combined — do not overwork, about 30–45 seconds.

Portion and shape

Using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop (or by eye), portion the mixture into roughly 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs (makes about 24 small appetizer meatballs). If desired, lightly roll each formed ball in fine dry breadcrumbs for a thin crust.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add meatballs and brown on all sides turning gently with tongs or a spatula, about 6–8 minutes per batch. They do not need to be cooked through — just nicely browned. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate.

Sauce

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil to the same skillet. Add the finely diced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add 1 tsp minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in crushed tomatoes and passata, stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp sugar (optional), and 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir 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 15–18 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C) and sauce flavors meld. Stir occasionally and spoon sauce over meatballs to baste.

If sauce seems too thin, simmer uncovered for the last 5 minutes to reduce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Tear in fresh basil leaves just before serving if using.

To Serve

Transfer meatballs and sauce to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Romano and garnish with extra chopped parsley or basil if desired. Serve with toasted Italian bread or crostini for scooping.