Lessons Learned from Italian Cooking: Marinara Sauce & Neopolitan Meatballs

Lessons learned from Italian Cooking #1: You don't need to let marinara sauce simmer ALLLL DAYYY long! I don't know why I had in my head that in order to make a good marinara sauce, it needed to be an all day event. WRONG-O! With the right ingredients, you can have delicious marinara sauce in about 20 minutes.

 

Lessons learned from Italian Cooking #2: Soaked day old bread is an amazing additive to meatballs! The water drenched bread gives the meatballs a light and fluffy texture while making them moist. I will never go back to heavy all meat meatballs!

My journey began with the basics: Marinara, spaghetti and meatballs! How much more Italian can I get?

Lets start with the marinara: Neopolitans practically worship this simple tomato sauce! If it was up to them, they would use fresh tomatoes all the time but unfortunately, tomatoes are only at their peak in the summer time. Thankfully, Italians have given the thumbs up to canned tomatoes. Score! The only advice they give is to try to use the canned tomatoes within 6 months of their packaging and use the ones that are canned in their own juices instead of tomato puree. Easy enough, right?

Sugo Di Pomodori Pelati 

What? You don't know what the means? Sheesh. Fine fine, I'll translate ;) 

Smooth Tomato Sauce from Canned Tomatoes.

Makes about 2 cups

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
a few leaves of fresh basil or parsley

instructions:

1. in a 1.5-2 qt. saucepan, combine the oil and garlic over medium heat. Be sure to lightly smash the garlic into the oil so the oil becomes infused with all that delicious garlicy-ness. Let cook until it barely browns (I, unfortunately burnt mine so don't turn your back for a second!) and then remove from oil.

2. In a blender or food processor, puree the canned tomatoes and then add to the saucepan. OR you can do what I did--poured the tomatoes into the pan and crushed them with a mashed potato masher because I like it to be a little chunky. Add salt and red pepper flakes and turn the heat up slightly to bring to a brisk simmer. Add freshly torn basil or parsley leaves. Adjust the heat as the sauce cooks down, stir frequently as it simmers and let simmer for about 12 minutes. Don't forget to sneak in a few tastes to adjust the spices...or just to taste because its yummy! :)





See wasn't that easy? If you have left overs, can them and put in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for up to 3 months.



Now onto the Neopolitan Meatballs! Alongside pizza and tomato sauce, meatballs have got to be the most famous food to have come out of Naples. Well, these meatballs are special. They contain dried bread that has been soaked in water which give the meatball a lighter, airy consistancy and it is a practice that has been somewhat lost over time. Well, I am here to bring it back! You will thank me...I promise.

Polpette Alla Napoletana

Neopolitan Meatballs

Makes 12 meatballs

ingredients:

3 cups dried crustless bread cut into 1.5 inch cubes before measuring -- I used ciabatta bread and I cut it up the night before and let just sit out on the counter until the next day

1 1/4 lbs ground beef -- if you want a healthier version, ground turkey is fine!

3 eggs, beaten

2 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese -- if you can't find pecorino, parmesan is fine too

1/4 cup finely cut parsley

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/3 cup raisins

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

instructions:

1. Soak the bread in cold water. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine (but do not mix yet!) the remaining ingredients except the oil

2. Squeeze the bread by fistfuls to drain it and then break it up into the bowl. Blend the mixture very well together (I found my hands to be the best tool).

3. With your hands moistened in cold water, form the mixture into 12 meatballs, about 1/3 cup of meat each.

4. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium, to med-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles, you're good to go! Gently place the meatballs in the pan and as soon as the first side looks brown, turn to the other side. Because meatballs are round, you need to make sure you brown all sides so it is cooked through. Should take about 12-15 minutes.

**If serving in tomato sauce, take meatballs out at about 10 minutes and finish cooking in the tomato sauce. Let the meatballs simmer lightly in the sauce for about 15 minutes.

While the meatballs were browning, I boiled up some pasta and had a beyond delicious lunch! Nothing beats spaghetti, HOMEMADE marinara and meatballs.

Hope you learned as much as I did! Buon Appetíto,

Lisa