If you had to ask me what my favorite cuisine was, it would be a difficult answer. I love sushi, Chinese, and of course Italian food. Carbs, carbs, and more carbs in the form of different pasta, breads, and wine are the reason I am so proud to have Italian heritage.Â
My maternal grandfather was 100% Italian, both his parents being from Italy. Growing up, I was lucky enough to spend summers driving down to Pennsylvania where his mom (Noni) lived.Â
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I was too young to really remember her cooking, but I can remember her draping freshly made noodles on the dining room chairs before dinner.Â
I was so happy when my mom found her recipes recently while going through my grandparents things. I am so excited to try all of the things that my grandpa grew up eating. And I am excited to learn some authentic Italian recipes!Â
I wanted to start simple, so I chose Noni’s Meatball Recipe. I realized VERY quickly that this journey may be harder than I expected. In the days of Pinterest, we have gotten used to a perfectly calculated recipes with detailed instructions…not my Noni! People didn’t write things down then- it was all in their head, so I can imagine one of her daughters trying to document her recipes while she was dashing through the kitchen.Â
I tried to decipher the “code” and I have to say, I think they turned out great! You all will love my Noni’s Authentic Italian Meatballs.Â
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Now, I have to be honest. When I have made meatballs in the past, I did not put any pizzazz in them. I took meat, some seasonings and rolled the into balls. For this recipe, my Noni used celery, egg, bread crumbs, real bread slices and of course meat and spices.Â
First, I added in the egg (two eggs per pound of hamburger). I broke up two bread slices and added to the bowl. I decided only to use one stalk of celery (because ya know, there was not a quantity on the recipe).Â
This recipe is so easy, because you can add everything to the bowl within five minutes and you are ready to roll (literally).Â
As you can see above, I rolled these into about one inch diameter balls I tend to like them smaller, as I end up cutting them up into my pasta dish anyways.Â
I heated up oil in a pan and allowed one side to brown for 5 minutes, before flipping and allowing the other side to brown for the same amount of time.Â
One of my biggest fears with meat is having the entire exterior browned and then cutting into it when it’s time for dinner and it’s still raw in the middle. When I was younger, I would babysit my cousins a lot and thought I was Betty Crocker and attempted to make them meatballs once. I am probably in my late teens, all excited, and we sit down to eat and they were pink inside. I was mortified and honestly concerned that I just fed a small child raw meat…BUT I have mastered the art since then (thankfully).Â
After browning each side, I placed a top over the meatballs, turned down to simmer, and let them cook for 15 minutes. They turned out perfect!Â
Thanks, Noni!Â
Let me know if you try the recipes. I would love to hear how they came out.Â
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Noni's Authentic Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb Hamburger
- 2 Eggs
- 4 tbsp Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 clove Garlic (Minced)
- 1 stalk Celery
- 1 tsp Basil
- 2 slices Bread (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- 1) Start with dicing the celery
- 2) Crack the eggs into a large bowl
- 3) Add all of the ingredients
- 4) Mix well
- 5) Roll meat into 1" diameter balls
- 6) Heat pan and add meatballs in one layer
- 7) Let cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
- 8) Flip and let the other side cook for 5 minutes
- 9) Cover and turn to a simmer
- 10) Let sit for 15 minutes
- 11) Serve!
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