The meatballs alla pizzaiola is a simple and appetizing recipe to cook meatballs differently from the usual; soft and tasty, these beef meatballs are topped with a delicious tomato and oregano sauce and garnished with lots of melting mozzarella: a burst of flavor that will make every bite irresistible.
The nice thing about this recipe? You can make it from scratch or use it to give new life to leftover meatballs. Just a little creativity, and the result will be a delicious and completely new dish. Whether you are an experienced cook or a beginner, this recipe is a sure way to impress your guests with authentic and satisfying flavors. Get ready to delight yourself with these meatballs alla pizzaiola, a dish that will surely please your children, even the pickiest ones!
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
If you are celiac, you can make the meatballs alla pizzaiola using gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- 14 oz ground beef
- 1 potato (small, about 5 oz)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste breadcrumbs (for me gluten-free)
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 3.5 oz mozzarella
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Garlic Press
- 1 Pan non-stick with thick bottom and lid
- 1 Baking dish
How to prepare meatballs alla pizzaiola
For the English version of this recipe click here!
To prepare the meatballs alla pizzaiola, start by preparing the meatball mixture. You can, of course, use your favorite recipe – beef, veal, or mixed ground meat; use bread soaked in milk or boiled potato; vary the spices according to your taste; bread them, flour them, or leave them as they are… – I’ll share the version I prefer.
Boil a small potato (about 5 oz), peel it, and mash it in a bowl using a fork (1). Then add the ground meat, a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, the nutmeg, and the grated Parmesan cheese.
Peel the garlic clove, cut it in half, and remove the central core. Then squeeze it with the appropriate tool (2) letting the pulp fall into the bowl with the meat. Mix well with your hands, then add the egg (3).
Mix again with your hands to blend it into the meat, obtaining a homogeneous and fairly firm mixture (4). Form meatballs that are not too large (5) and, as you form them, place them on a plate or cutting board (6).
Then briefly roll them in the breadcrumbs (7). In a large and non-stick pan pour the oil and heat it well (8).
Place the meatballs in the pan and let them brown over low heat for about 5 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking (9) so they color on all sides.
When they are golden, raise the heat and deglaze with white wine (10). Let it evaporate until you no longer smell the strong odor of alcohol. Then add the tomato sauce (11), a pinch of salt, and a bit of oregano.
Cover the pan with a lid and let the meatballs in tomato sauce cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat (12).
While the meatballs are cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F and slice the mozzarella into fairly thin slices (13). When the meatballs are ready, transfer them along with the tomato sauce into a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer (14).
Cover them with the mozzarella slices (15) and place them in the already hot oven at 400°F (static) for about 10 minutes, the time it takes for the mozzarella to melt completely. Remove from the oven and garnish with another pinch of oregano (16).
Serve the meatballs alla pizzaiola immediately.
Storage
You can keep the meatballs alla pizzaiola in the fridge for 3 days. If you want to prepare them in advance, it’s best to cook the meatballs in tomato sauce and, once cooled, store them in the refrigerator, leaving the step of adding the mozzarella and melting it in the oven for the last moment.
Tips and Variations
In this recipe, I showed you the procedure for preparing the meatballs alla pizzaiola from scratch, but this dish is fundamentally a recycling recipe, a way to use leftover meatballs. In this sense, you can adjust the procedure according to your needs: for example, if you have leftover fried meatballs, you just need to prepare some tomato sauce separately and dress them in a baking dish as per the recipe.
FAQ
Can meatballs alla pizzaiola be made entirely in a pan?
Yes, instead of transferring them into a baking dish, once cooked, you can leave them in the pan with the sauce, cover them with mozzarella slices, and close with the lid, letting them cook over very low heat for a couple of minutes until the mozzarella melts.
