Serena’s Meatballs because the recipe for this amazing dish is by Serena Ioppolo of “Sono Serena”. Credit where it’s due. I’m sharing it with you because Serena’s meatballs are a must-try. However, there are some things, some ingredients that you’ll need to learn from her because that’s the right way. The Serena’s meatballs are soft, flavorful, rich in aromas and scents, without bread and without eggs, with a sauce that makes mopping up a must! So give them a try!
Not to be missed
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 16 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
To prepare Serena’s meatballs, I adjusted the doses according to what I had in the fridge.
- 10.5 oz mixed ground meat
- 4.6 oz mixed soffritto (I used red onion, carrot, zucchini)
- 3 leaves fresh basil
- 1 oz cheese (I used Parmesan and spicy provolone)
- to taste salt
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 tomato cubes
- 10.5 oz tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Vegetable Peeler
- 1 Grater
- 1 Blender
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 High-Edged Casserole
Steps
Wash the zucchini and remove the ends. Wash the carrot, remove the ends, peel it, and cut it into pieces. Also cut the onion into pieces after peeling it. Place the vegetables in a mixer and blend them. In a small pan, heat a tablespoon of oil, transfer the vegetables and let them cook and dry. Turn off the heat and let them cool. In a bowl, add the mixed ground meat, Parmesan, grated spicy provolone, basil torn with your hands, a pinch of salt, and the vegetable mix. Mix everything well to combine the mixture and form walnut-sized meatballs. Place them on the air fryer grill and let them seal at 350°F for five minutes without adding any seasoning. You can also do this sealing step in a pan. In a high-edged casserole, heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and let the garlic clove fry, then add the meatballs and tomato sauce. Cook for thirty minutes. Meanwhile, in the immersion blender glass, blend the washed, dried, and halved cherry tomatoes. After the meatballs’ cooking time, add the blended cherry tomatoes and the two tomato cubes to the sauce. Adjust the salt. Continue cooking for ten minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it rest: you can serve the meatballs even warm and, as Serena suggests, with pepper and grated lemon zest.
