Roasted Italian Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Roasted Italian Meatballs simmered in marinara with creamy parmesan polenta - AKA "Bobby's Meatballs"
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
These are two of my all time favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes, found in her book titled, "Cooking for Jeffrey". The meatballs are even better the next day, freeze well, and please a crowd for a weeknight dinner, holiday meal, or a game day sandwich spread. My husband and son prefer the meatballs in a sub, but all the girls in our house like the polenta - almost more than the meatballs themselves! My son also loves to bring leftovers for lunch at school in a thermos.