Nana's Meatballs

Today would have been my maternal grandmother's 103rd birthday.  Nana, as we all called her, was your typical Italian-American grandmother, full of love and generosity and one great cook.  To many in my extended family, nana's dishes remain legendary, from simple and light dishes like whiting with garlic, olive oil and lemon to homemade chicken noodle soup for Thanksgiving to more traditional Italian fare such as...what else?  Pasta!  Her sauce, or 'gravy' as we always called it, was always impeccable, and served up nearly every single Sunday.  Oh, and then there was the lasagna. We always looked forward all year to nana's traditional lasagna on Christmas Day, the one with the tiny meatballs swimming in the cheesy mixture.  Delish!  

Oh, and those meatballs...did I mention them?  Here's something I wrote for Yahoo awhile back...

Traditional Italian Meatball Recipe

Meatballs have always been a staple in my Italian-American family.  I grew up loving my nana’s all-time tastiest meatballs and it’s her recipe that I use when I make my own.   People always love my meatballs, and that's because I learned from the best.  In the years since my nana passed, I've changed up the recipe just a teeny bit, and they're still just as good...

You’re gonna love em’!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 eggs

a handful of breadcrumbs

a handful of grated parmesan or Romano cheese

½ small chopped onion

1 slice of any type of bread, pre-soaked in water

a dash of Allspice

a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt, pepper, parsley and garlic powder, to taste

Process

1 - Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly

2 - Form meatballs by hand in any size you wish and either fry them (to me the taste is better!) or place in a baking pan in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes

That's it!  I often serve this dish with pasta and tomato sauce, of course, but not always.  Try these meatballs and pasta with out of the ordinary sauces like brown gravy or pesto, alla vodka, au jus, teriyaki and soy,  or just plain butter sauce.  The possibilities are literally endless!  They also make a great hors d’ouevre, served as tiny, bite sized meatballs on a fancy toothpick with either a hollandaise or a béarnaise sauce for dipping.  Give them a try at your next cocktail party and wow your guests. 

   

Chicken Spinach Meatballs

Meatballs have always been a staple in my Italian-American family. I grew up loving my nana's all-time tastiest meatballs and it's her recipe that I use when I make my own. This recipe is a spin on the traditional meatball and makes a great addition to a pasta meal or as an appetizer, as well. Chicken and spinach meatballs are delicious, healthy and versatile and once you try em', you're surely gonna love em'!

Ingredients: 

1 lb. ground chicken 
2 eggs 
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed 
Handful of breadcrumbs 
Handful of grated Parmesan cheese 
1/2 small chopped onion 
1 slice of any type of bread, pre-soaked in water 
A dash of allspice 
A dash of Worcestershire sauce 
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste

Click here for the recipe.

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A Good Ole Classic Tomato Sauce

Here's my recipe for a delicious Italian tomato sauce, passed on to me by my friend Mark. It’s a simple, basic recipe that goes with any sort of pasta. I’ve altered it a bit to my own tastes and you can, as well. (Of course the wine is a very subjective thing, but to me it gives the sauce some great added flavor!)

Ingredients:

Crushed tomatoes (2- 28 ounce cans)
1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
1 or 2 bay leaves
Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped, to taste
Fresh Basil, torn or shredded, to taste
Olive Oil
Red Wine (Any type of red wine that you would normally drink.)

Directions:

- Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large pasta pot
- Add 1 or 2 bay leaves
- Add the onion
- After about five minutes, add the garlic
- Cook onions over low heat until almost translucent (between 7 and 12 minutes)
- Add a couple of glugs of red wine and a some of the basil
- Allow the red wine to reduce (several minutes)
- Add the crushed tomatoes, parsley and more basil
- Let simmer for twenty minutes or so
- Toss over pasta and enjoy!

Notes:

- The fresh herbs can be replaced with the dried kind. Just use less of it.

- For a traditional Italian meat sauce, cook any choice of beef, pork or sausage you like before following the recipe. Brown the meat on all sides, but don’t cook all the way through. Use the same pot you will prepare the sauce in later. Remove the browned meat from the pan, and start the sauce recipe. Once the sauce has started to simmer, add the meat back into it so it can finish cooking through.

- If you like your sauce a little thicker, add I small can of tomato paste to the mixture.

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Stuffed Peppers

Mix ground beef with the following:

½ small chopped onion
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
Salt, pepper, and parsley, to taste

Hollow out 4 large bell peppers, any color and stuff the beef mixture into the peppers. Place on a non stick cooking pan in a 350 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes. For added flavor, place some shredded mozzarella over the peppers for the last couple of minutes or so. Serve the peppers over a bed of pasta, any type, along with tomato sauce.

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