Real Italian meatballs are never served with spaghetti—that's a 1920s American invention from Italian-American restaurants.
Classic Italian Meatballs
Dive into the heart of Italy with our irresistible Classic Italian Meatballs! These juicy delights are crafted from succulent ground beef, blended with fresh herbs and zesty garlic, then rolled in crispy breadcrumbs for that perfect crunch. Serve them up in a rich marinara sauce for a meal that’s sure to impress your family and friends!
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
These aren't authentically Italian at all—they're pure Italian-American invention from 1920s New York tenements where Neapolitan immigrants bulked up their precious meat with whatever breadcrumbs they could scrounge, creating softball-sized monsters that would make their nonna weep into her actual polpette, which were delicate, walnut-sized affairs served dry, never drowning in that red sauce tsunami Americans mistakenly worship.
Regional Twist
In Rome's Trastevere district, they ditch the breadcrumbs entirely, double the Parmigiano, and add diced guanciale for that proper pork fat punch that makes tourists forget all about their sad hotel breakfast.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 200 g breadcrumbs
- 3 pcs eggs
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk
- 100 g parmigiano
- parsley (to taste)
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix ground beef, eggs, parmigiano, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a drop of milk together with your hands until well combined.
- 2
Shape the mixture into balls of your desired size.
- 3
Prepare a simple tomato sauce with olive oil, shallots, Marzano tomatoes, salt, and basil.
- 4
Place the raw meatballs directly into the sauce and cover.
- 5
Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs after five minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Soak breadcrumbs in milk at a 3:1 ratio (breadcrumbs to milk) for 5 minutes before mixing to create a panade that keeps meatballs tender by preventing protein over-development.technique3:1 ratio, 5 minutes
- ✓Mix ingredients just until combined using a folding motion rather than kneading because overworking develops gluten strands that create dense, tough meatballs.technique
- ✓Maintain sauce temperature at a gentle simmer (185-195°F) when cooking raw meatballs to prevent the exterior from seizing and becoming rubbery before the interior cooks through.timing185-195°F
- ✓Use 18-20% fat content ground beef because the fat renders during cooking to self-baste the meatballs and prevents them from drying out in the sauce.ingredient18-20% fat content
- ✓Grate Parmigiano on the finest microplane setting to maximize surface area for better distribution and faster melting, which creates more even seasoning throughout each meatball.equipment
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Real Italian meatballs are never served with spaghetti—that's a 1920s American invention from Italian-American restaurants.
Classic Italian Meatballs
Dive into the heart of Italy with our irresistible Classic Italian Meatballs! These juicy delights are crafted from succulent ground beef, blended with fresh herbs and zesty garlic, then rolled in crispy breadcrumbs for that perfect crunch. Serve them up in a rich marinara sauce for a meal that’s sure to impress your family and friends!
The Story
These aren't authentically Italian at all—they're pure Italian-American invention from 1920s New York tenements where Neapolitan immigrants bulked up their precious meat with whatever breadcrumbs they could scrounge, creating softball-sized monsters that would make their nonna weep into her actual polpette, which were delicate, walnut-sized affairs served dry, never drowning in that red sauce tsunami Americans mistakenly worship.
Regional Twist
In Rome's Trastevere district, they ditch the breadcrumbs entirely, double the Parmigiano, and add diced guanciale for that proper pork fat punch that makes tourists forget all about their sad hotel breakfast.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 200 g breadcrumbs
- 3 pcs eggs
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk
- 100 g parmigiano
- parsley (to taste)
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix ground beef, eggs, parmigiano, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a drop of milk together with your hands until well combined.
- 2
Shape the mixture into balls of your desired size.
- 3
Prepare a simple tomato sauce with olive oil, shallots, Marzano tomatoes, salt, and basil.
- 4
Place the raw meatballs directly into the sauce and cover.
- 5
Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs after five minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Soak breadcrumbs in milk at a 3:1 ratio (breadcrumbs to milk) for 5 minutes before mixing to create a panade that keeps meatballs tender by preventing protein over-development.technique3:1 ratio, 5 minutes
- ✓Mix ingredients just until combined using a folding motion rather than kneading because overworking develops gluten strands that create dense, tough meatballs.technique
- ✓Maintain sauce temperature at a gentle simmer (185-195°F) when cooking raw meatballs to prevent the exterior from seizing and becoming rubbery before the interior cooks through.timing185-195°F
- ✓Use 18-20% fat content ground beef because the fat renders during cooking to self-baste the meatballs and prevents them from drying out in the sauce.ingredient18-20% fat content
- ✓Grate Parmigiano on the finest microplane setting to maximize surface area for better distribution and faster melting, which creates more even seasoning throughout each meatball.equipment