No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Southern Italian Meatballs
- 1 LB Ground Beef
- 1/2 LB Ground Pork or Italian Sausage
- 3/4 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
- 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan
- 1/3 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano
- 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 2 TB Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Grated Pecorino and Chopped Parsley for Garnish
- *Perfectly Easy Tomato Sauce
Step One
Preheat the oven to 425F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Step Two
In a bowl, mix together beef, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, cheeses, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes until combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll out meat mixture into balls 1” in diameter; arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Season meatballs all over with salt and pepper.
Step Three
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
*Perfectly Easy Tomato Sauce
- 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Minced Red Onion
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Grated Garlic Cloves
- 1 28-oz Can Crushed Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 TB Italian Seasoning
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Step One
Place the Oil, Onion and Salt in a skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft, but not brown – about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant about 30 seconds.
Step Two
Add the can of tomatoes and the Italian Seasoning to the pan, cook for 30 minutes, season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
No. 3 : Clever
Fresh bread crumbs are easy to make – just tear bread into small pieces and pulse in the food processor until crumbs form.
No. 4 : Cheers!
12 E MEZZO PRIMITIVO
Salento Puglia
About $17
Although this grape hailsfrom Croatia, it made its way to Italy, even to California – where its called Zinfandel. In Italy it was always the first to ripen in his vineyard – thus the name Primitivo. It’s a deep ruby color in the glass with aromas and flavors of black currents and warm baking spices. Not a typical big bold California Style, this one is a little lighter in alcohol – but delicious to taste. I love the name which suggest what time to enjoy a glass: at half past noon!