Housemade Meatball Al Forno Recipe
Four meatballs with melted aged mozzarella; served with grilled bread. 11.99
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Ingredients
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Meatballs
Tomato Sauce
Topping & Finish
Grilled Bread
Method
Meatballs
- 1
Hydrate breadcrumbs
In a small bowl, combine the fine breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit 5 minutes until milk is absorbed and mixture is pasty.
- 2
Mix meatball ingredients
In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork. Add the hydrated breadcrumbs, eggs, grated Parmesan, grated onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Use clean hands or a spoon to gently mix until just combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.
- 3
Portion and shape
Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions (about 45–50 g / 1.6 oz each) to yield four servings of four meatballs. Roll each portion into a smooth ball about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up (this helps them hold their shape while searing).
- 4
Brown meatballs
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side (they do not need to be cooked through). Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and repeat with remaining meatballs. Wipe skillet if excessively browned before using for sauce (or keep pan with fond for sauce step).
Tomato Sauce
- 5
Sauté garlic
In a medium saucepan (or the skillet used to brown meatballs) heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and sauté 30–60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 6
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Simmer
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld and sauce thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 8
Combine meatballs and sauce
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the browned meatballs into an ovenproof baking dish (a 9x13 or similar). Pour the hot tomato sauce over the meatballs, turning each ball once so it's coated and partially submerged in sauce. Spoon sauce to cover exposed areas.
Bake & Finish
- 9
Bake with cheese
Sprinkle shredded aged mozzarella evenly over the meatballs and sauce, then dust with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs and melt the cheese.
- 10
Brown the cheese
Remove foil and switch oven to broil (or increase heat to high). Broil 1–2 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden — watch closely to prevent burning. Verify meatballs reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
- 11
Garnish
Remove from oven. Drizzle 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over the finished dish and scatter fresh basil leaves on top.
Grilled Bread
- 12
- 13
Grill or pan-fry
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Grill bread slices 1–2 minutes per side until nicely charred and crisp. Immediately rub one cut side of each warm slice with the halved garlic cloves to impart subtle garlic flavor.
- 14
Serve
Arrange two warm slices of grilled bread per serving alongside four meatballs topped with sauce and melted cheese. Spoon extra sauce from the baking dish over the meatballs and offer remaining sauce on the side if desired.
