Roasted Italian Meatballs, simmered in marinara sauce, served with creamy parmesan polenta. Two Barefoot Contessa recipes worth putting on repeat. These are being dubbed “Bobby’s Meatballs” in a nod to Bobby Carlin, whose Thanksgiving was never complete without meatballs – we think he’d approve!
These recipes are both incredible on their own, and probably should be separate posts, but they are SO GOOD TOGETHER! The meatballs are to die for, easy to make, and freeze well. The polenta is perfection, and works well with roasted veggies or just straight out of the pot with a spoon. Thanks Ina for being the food genius that never fails.
I forgot to include the chopped garlic in the photo of ingredients for the polenta (right side). The polenta is simple, and so are the meatballs, so once again, quality is key. If you don’t like to use veal, just double the ground pork – the meatballs will be amazing.
I purchase Quart size containers on Amazon (the ones you see in prepared food stores) as they freeze well and stack in the fridge easily. You can make this ahead and serve later in the week – up to 3 days without freezing – the polenta should be made the same day though.
Roasted Italian Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
Roasted Italian Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef 85 percent is great here
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground veal use double ground pork if you don't eat veal
- 1 3/4 cups dry seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly ground parmesan 2 oz
- 1/2 cup freshly ground pecorino 2 oz
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup red wine I use cabernet
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup olive oil this is for brushing the meatballs before baking
- 2 jars Rao's Marinara (32 oz each)
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups stone ground whole grain cornmeal Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind is great here
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
- 4-6 tbsp creme fraiche
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
Roasted Italian Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and arrange two racks in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, veal, and pork together with a fork and your fingers, breaking it up as you go. Add the bread crumbs, pecorino, parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, eggs, wine and water, mixing thoroughly but gently - you don't want to compress the mixture.
- Using a 2 oz (1 3/4") ice cream scoop, form the meatballs and spread evenly between the two baking sheets - you will have about 30 in total. Brush the tops with olive oil, and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.
- In a large pot, heat the marinara sauce over a medium-low flame, and gently add the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Keep warm and serve with the polenta and a sprinkle of shaved parmesan.
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
- Add the minced garlic to the chicken stock in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and slowly pour the cornmeal into the stock, stirring constantly with a whisk to break up any clumps that might form. Add the salt and pepper, and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Depending on your desired consistency, remove from the heat when it hits the thickness you want. Off the heat, add the parmesan, creme fraiche, and diced butter. This will thicken the polenta as well. Taste for seasoning and serve hot with meatballs and sauce.
- I let this sit in a covered pot off the heat, and reheat as needed, thinning with extra chicken stock. Many recipes say you can't make polenta ahead, but I find it reheats well like this.
Notes
