all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed!
In honor of National Meatball Day tomorrow, I did some research on the origin of the meatball. As with most culinary successes the origin is a bit unclear. While meatballs can often be found in spaghetti and meatballs in the United States, when served in true Italian style they are smaller and typically come without pasta or sauce. Many believe the true origin of the meatball is from Kofta, a dish of ground meat mixed with lentils or rice. Kofta is said to have started as a Persian dish and then was passed along to the Arabs. The popularity of the meatball perhaps spread north through Europe along with the spice trade.
While the origin of the meatball can be debated, one thing is certain, meatballs are popular in cuisines across the globe. From Spanish Albondigas to Swedish Meatballs, Kofte from India to Morocco and Polpette in Italy; meatballs are everywhere. Perhaps this is because of the ease of making a meatball. It is a great way to use of up leftover meat and vegetables and meatballs are easily flavored with a blend of spices. Not only are they easy to make they are easy to make in large quantities and serve to a crowd… probably why most of us think they are an Italian dish. Whether you prefer beef in your meatballs or take a more vegetarian approach, I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes and have fun celebrating National Meatball Day!
Happy Friday,
Julie
Traditional Meatballs
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 small zucchini
3 medium sized carrots, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Due Cellucci Tradtional Tomato Sauce
Method:
-Grate Zucchini, Carrots and Onion
-Over medium heat, heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add the grated vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes(until vegetables are soft) stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-In the 9×13 inch baking pan, mix together the ground beef, vegetables, salt and pepper. Form into ping-ping size balls and line up in the pan. Once all of the mixture has been formed into the meatballs top with Tomato Sauce. Cover entire pan with aluminum foil.
-Baked in preheated oven for 30 minutes. The sauce will be bubbling and the meatballs cooked through.
-Serve immediately or see my tip above and chill for the next day.
-To reheat simply place in 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
-Enjoy with more sauce over pasta or choose spaghetti squash if you are into the low-carb thing!
Lentil ‘Meatballs’
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
¾ cup green lentils, uncooked
¼ cup red quinoa, uncooked
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp water
¼ cup sunflower seeds, ground to a fine powder
½ cup minced yellow onion
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
Pepper to taste
Method:
-Cook lentils and quinoa, separately, according to package instructions, then let cool
-Combine ground flaxseed with water
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
-Add cooked lentils, cooked quinoa, oats, ground sunflower seeds, onion, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in flaxseed and water mixture and pulse to incorporate
-Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop mixture and roll between palms into uniform balls. Place on baking sheet
-Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until golden brown
-Enjoy with Semolina Artisanal Strozzapreti Pasta and Due Cellucci Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce