Nothing beats the fresh flavors and delicious texture of a homemade meatball. While meatballs are featured in many different parts of the world, the country that is internationally recognized for being experts in the delicious food, is without a doubt Italy. The hearty meatball served with a delicious marinara or spicy Arrabbiata sauce, and some pasta a la dente? Perfection!
Instead of going out for the rich flavors of Italian food, you can innovate and master your own recipe at home. All you need is some premium quality, grass-fed ground beef from Florida Raised and a few low-cost ingredients (including fresh herbs) and you’ll be creating your own five-star Italian pasta dishes at home.
The History of the Italian Style Meatball
In America, we find the Italian meatball served with a traditional marina or Arrabbiata sauce, but did you know in Italy, that meatballs are frequently served without pasta? The presentation of a full plate of pasta served with meatballs is a modification from how present-day Italians eat the protein, and a far departure from the way they were prepared and eaten in ancient Roman times.
In the 5th century what we would call a ‘cookbook’ was published, which provided instructions on preparing certain types of food. Apicius covered everything from the preparation of fish to chicken, but while these is recognized as one of the world’s earliest cookbooks, no one is really sure who wrote or compiled it. It was translated in 1936 into English by an author named Joseph Dommers Vehling.
The earliest example of a modern-day meatball was kofta, a dish that included ground beef, chicken, pork or lamb and then mixed with rice, and mashed lentils to hold it all together. They were prepared as long cylinders, not as perfectly round balls of meat, and they first appeared in the Persian culture. Some Arabic cookbooks featured ground lamb rolled into baseball sized balls, with an egg yolk and saffron glaze.
The meatball recipe was a culinary hack (much like meatloaf) that allowed the cook to extend a small amount of meat into a larger meal, by adding additional ingredients and natural starchy fillers. Because it was so budget friendly, the Italian meatball flourished as a protein source in Southern Italy, from regions like Sicily and Calabria. Italian immigrants to America brought the traditional recipe with them, and since canned tomatoes were cheap (and so were pasta noodles), the economical meal of the southern Italian polpette became a staple menu item in restaurants, and in kitchens across the country.
If you are expecting to see those same heaping plates of pasta and meatballs when you visit Italy, prepare for a bit of disappointment. Italians typically prefer meat (carne) with a salad, and bread, and so the meatball is frequently served as a standalone protein (without the pasta) across Italian. Large meatballs are also not common, and traditional Sicilian lasagna recipes featured marble size meatballs and spicy genoa salami slices, for a robust nutritionally balanced and protein rich meal.
The Classic Italian Meatball Recipe
Ready to create your own homemade authentic Italian meatball? We’ve tried a variety of different meatball recipes, but this one from Epicurious is our favorite. The blend of the pork and veal, with quality grass-fed ground beef makes for a dynamic and flavorful meatball, that is tender and delicious. Follow the recipe and instructions and learn how easy it is to prepare this from scratch at home, with your favorite sweet marinara or spicy red sauce.
One Mess Many Meal Suggestions
There are a variety of ways that you can make the most out of your scratch cooking, by organizing your preparation time and some additional ingredients, to create your own homemade food that can be frozen for future meals. The best everyday cooks who have a busy schedule understand that when there is an opportunity to prepare many meals from a single ‘mess’, that you are not only saving money on dining out, but you are also saving valuable time. And eating healthier, because you know each and every healthy ingredient you used.
Since you are going to be making that effort and mess in the kitchen, make the most out of it by creating meals you can quickly prepare, straight from your freezer. Since Florida Raised ground-beef is never frozen, you can safely free your ground beef in our package, or after you have seasoned your meat and created patties or meatballs.
1. Hot Meatball Sandwiches and Fresh Insalata Mista
If your family enjoys having pasta and meatballs once a week, prepare your raw seasoned meatballs, and portion one-meal (approximately 8 meatballs for the average family) and freeze them. You want to protect the meatballs from breakage, so we recommend storing them in a glass container with an airtight lid.
On the evening you want to prepare your pasta dish with your own homemade meatballs, simply pour your marinara into a deep sauce pan, and bring your sauce to a rolling boil. Make sure that you have enough sauce in your pan to adequately cover each meatball for thorough cooking. Drop in your frozen meatballs using a ladle (so they don’t break apart) and cook on high for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to test about 3 of your meatballs for internal temperature, which should be 160° F.
Not feeling like pasta? There are many other meals you can create with your homemade meatballs or the seasoned loose meat mixture that you have frozen. For instance, try cooking your meatballs per the directions above, and then serving hot meatball sandwiches! Toast some ciabatta bread lightly (it helps prevent sogginess) after brushing with a combination of dried oregano and olive oil.
Cook your meatballs thoroughly in your marinara, and then add 2-3 meatballs per sandwich (we recommend cutting them in half first). Top each sandwich with provolone or mozzarella cheese, and then drizzle a generous portion of the hot marinara sauce on top. Serve with a fresh insalata mista (balsamic, olive oil and salt vinaigrette with fresh mixed green lettuce salad) and enjoy. To spice things up a little, try grilling some poblano peppers (remove the skin, seeds and stem) and top your Italian meatball sandwich with some delicious heat!
2. Italian Style Scratch burgers with Mozzarella and Fresh Basil
You can use the exact same classic Italian meatball recipe we have shared, to create some amazing Italian hamburgers too. Form 4 generous patties and freeze them for a quick lunch or dinner. When you are ready to cook them, place your scratch burgers right on the grill, and cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Instead of the standard burger condiments, try toasting your hamburger bun and then adding some hot marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. For some extra zing, add a few fresh basil leaves.
Watch for some more delicious, fast and economical meal suggestions and recipes that feature Florida fresh grass-fed beef. When you start with nutritious local beef, you have a world of possibilities for healthy meals, in every 1 lb. package of delicious ground beef.