Recipe: The Ultimate Meatball

Matt came across a recipe for The Ultimate Meatball in one of his men's magazine a while back, so we thought we'd give it a try. The occasion? My parents were coming for dinner, and I was making spaghetti and meatballs, and everything was from scratch.

I did a bit of prep work ahead of time (so I wouldn't spend the entire time in the kitchen when parents arrived) and decided to make my pasta a couple days early and let it air dry. I had never done this before, so I was actually a little nervous about how the pasta would hold up when I cooked it. And this was also a new recipe for pasta, substituting semolina flour for the usual all-purpose flour. But I was finally able to get my pasta attachment for my KitchenAid to work this time (prior attempts my dough had been too moist), so my spaghetti actually looked like spaghetti...at least before cooking. My fear came true when the moment of truth came to cook the pasta, and my lovely long spaghetti strands crumbled and turned into bite size noodles. Not the end of the world, since the taste was still very good. But I think next time I'll skip the drying step and go right from fresh to boiling water.

The meatballs, on the other hand, were probably the star of the show. The magazine was not wrong - they really are the ultimate meatball! Well, with cheese and proscuito in them, it's hard NOT to like them. They were easy to mix up and shape, and the batch made a substantial number, so we had plenty of extras to freeze for another night (I'm all about the leftovers now that I'm working - a post for another day). Paired with fresh tomato sauce (just roasted tomatoes and onions and pureed with a touch of salt and pepper to taste), and I'd say a very nice meal indeed.

INGREDIENTS

2 lb ground beef chuck
1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 to 1 1/2 tsp hot red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup fresh or boxed bread crumbs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
A splash of olive oil


DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, gently mix all the ingredients with your hands until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into tight golf-ball-size spheres, about 2 tablespoons each. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan or an ovenproof skillet, add the meatballs, and roast without turning until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

This recipe is a keeper for sure!