Quick Classic Meatballs Recipe

While spaghetti and meatballs have come to symbolize "Italian food" In the u. S. As much as pizza does, many americans might be surprised to learn that many italians have never heard of, let alone eaten, this dish. In the south of italy and sicily, small meatballs are sometimes served with pasta, but baseball-sized meatballs on top of a pile of spaghetti are really more of an italian-american thing. Meatballs in italy do indeed exist, but they are generally smaller (ranging from marble-sized to about the size of a golf ball) and eaten either on their own or in soups. They're more of a home-cooking dish than a restaurant item, and they're usually made with a mixture of different meats, rather than just ground beef chuck (as is more common in the u. S. ) and a mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal is the ideal combination in terms of flavor and texture. Since ground veal can be difficult to find, though, this recipe calls for just ground beef and pork, but you can substitute some of the total amounts with ground veal. Feel free to serve these with a simple tomato sauce and pasta, in a sandwich, or alone They make a great antipasto appetizer, or cocktail party finger food, skewered on toothpicks and perhaps with a dipping sauce, or in small buns as meatball sliders.