How to make soft meatballs in tomato sauce? The Cloud Meatballs recipe: Hello everyone! You know when you make meatballs with lots of love and then, at the table, find they turned out hard or dry? Well, today I’ll reveal how to fix that forever with my Cloud Meatballs.
I call them that because they are incredibly tender and flavorful. They are the perfect solution for the whole family, especially for kids who are often picky about textures or for anyone looking for a dish that’s truly a caress for the palate.
- Cuisine: Italiana
Ingredients
The Cloud Meatballs are my secret trick to bring to the table a second course that satisfies everyone. They are designed for those who want an extremely tender texture that melts in the mouth, ideal for kids with picky tastes or for anyone who needs easy-to-chew foods.
- 11 oz ground beef
- 3.5 oz sausage (remove the casing if coarse)
- 3.5 oz stale bread (use only the crumb or 4 slices of white bread (about 3/4 cup))
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 egg (whole)
- 1.75 oz grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped (fresh)
- to taste salt (adjust according to the saltiness of the sausage)
- to taste black pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Average nutritional values per serving:
Calories: 320 kcal
Protein: 22 g
Fat: 18 g
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Tools
You don’t need complicated tools to prepare this recipe, just what we all have in the kitchen. The important thing is to have a pan that distributes heat well.
- 1 Bowl large bowl for mixing the dough
- 1 Bowl bowl for soaking the bread
- 1 Pan non-stick frying pan
- 1 Wooden Spoon wooden spoon or spatula
Steps
Follow these steps carefully, especially the one about the bread, because that’s where all the softness of our little meatball clouds hides!
1. Soak: Put the bread crumb in the milk until it becomes a cream. Do not squeeze it too much!
2. Mix: In a bowl combine the meats, the egg, the Parmesan, the crushed garlic (optional), the parsley and the bread cream. Work well with your hands.
(I always add garlic and finely chopped parsley like a true Neapolitan)3. Shape: Form medium-small balls.
4. Cook: In a pan heat the oil with a whole clove of garlic, pour in the tomato passata and as soon as it barely simmers add the raw meatballs.
5. Trick for perfectly round meatballs: Once you’ve added them all, don’t use the spoon right away: the secret is to gently rotate the pan with a circular motion. This way the meatballs will roll on themselves, becoming perfectly round and evenly coated in sauce without breaking.
6. Lid: Cover immediately and simmer on low for 20 minutes.These meatballs are so tender they deserve accompaniments that enhance their softness. Here are my favorite ways to serve them:
Classic at Heart: Serve them over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. The tomato sauce mixing with the mash is heavenly!
The Mandatory Dip: Serve with slices of rustic bread or soft crostini. With this garlicky sauce, dipping is not optional, it’s a duty!
One-dish Meal: For a complete meal, they’re delicious with pilaf white rice or couscous, which will soak up all the tomato flavor.
For the Little Ones: Cut them in half directly on the plate: you’ll see how soft they are inside! A pinch of extra Parmesan on top and they’ll disappear in seconds.
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TIPS, VARIATIONS AND NOTES
Variation: If you want a more autumnal flavor, you can add a pinch of nutmeg to the mixture.
For children: If they don’t like to see green, chop the parsley very finely so it almost disappears in the mixture or omit it.
Storage note: They keep in the fridge for 2 days in a closed container. Reheat with a splash of water and they’ll be like freshly made!
How to make extremely soft meatballs in sauce? The Cloud Meatballs recipe
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Here I have gathered answers to the questions I get most often to make sure you achieve a perfect result.
Can I use only ground beef?
Yes, but sausage meat adds the most flavor and helps the meatball’s tenderness.
Does the bread have to be stale?
Yes, because it absorbs more milk and gives more softness to the mixture, but when I’m in a hurry I always use 4 slices of crustless white bread.
What if the sauce reduces too much?
Add a splash of hot water and put back the spoon — the meatballs and sauce will be ready in 20 minutes.
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