Surprisingly my favorite male celebrity chef is not someone who appears on the Food Network. I have had a long standing interest in Rocco DiSpirito since his NBC reality TV show The Restaurant back in 2003. I was an avid watcher of the show and have followed his career casually since then. I like Rocco's cocky attitude, his new physique and most importantly his relationship with his mother. There is something so endearing about a man who loves his mama! Rocco's very Italian mother, Nicolina was a regular character on The Restaurant and she was famous for her meatball recipe. I recently heard that Rocco is going to be a contestant on the next season of Dancing with the Stars (one of my favorite shows) and it reminded me of Rocco's short running reality TV show in 2003 and his protective and close relationship with his mama. So I decided to take a shot at recreating Italian meatballs at home in honor of Rocco and Nicolina.
Italian Meatballs
Joy of Cooking
Combine in a large bowl:
1 pound ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Mix with your hands.
Scoop out the mixture in heaping tablespoons and form into 2 inch balls.
Dredge the meatballs in:1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:2 tablespoons olive oil
Brown the meatballs in batches. Place in a baking pan and cook in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Add to tomato sauce. Serve over pasta.
These meatballs were amazing. They were exceptionally tender and very flavorful. Since the meatballs were the featured recipe I served them over whole wheat pasta and my version of spiced up jarred tomato sauce. This was a perfectly hearty and delicious meal!
