These Italian meatballs don’t need spaghetti
Oretta chef Christian Fontolan chuckled but let me down gently when I asked what type of spaghetti goes best with the meatballs he made.
“Spaghetti and meatballs is more of an American thing,” he says, while grating copious amounts of parmesan on a plate of meatballs at his opulent, Art Deco-inspired Italian restaurant at King St. W. and Bathurst St. “For a family meal back home (in Italy), we would have three courses. Pasta would be one of them and then the meatballs would be the main. I would serve the meatballs with an earthy salad like a panzanella, which is just crusty bread, tomatoes and cucumber with olive oil and vinegar.”
He was right. It never occurred to me until now that most Italian restaurants list meatballs and spaghetti as separate dishes on the menu.
According to a nifty write-up on the history of spaghetti and meatballs from Smithsonian.com, it was during the late 19th century when millions of Italians immigrated to America that it became a thing. Legend has it that either Anglo-American diners wanted a starch to go with the meatballs or pasta was one of the few Italian ingredients available in the U.S. at the time.
Fontolan was raised in the eastern Italian region of Marche (pronounced “market”) and learned how make meatballs from his mom. He says the recipe he provided is largely unchanged from her version, minus the fennel he adds for a subtle pop of bitter licorice to contrast the sweetness of the tomato sauce.
Still, what he loves about Italian food is the adaptability. While he keeps meatballs and pasta separate, he’s not going to look down on anyone who wants to serve his meatballs with spaghetti at home.
“What I think makes people love Italian food is that it’s approachable. You can look at the dish at the restaurant and think, ‘I can make this at home,’ ” he says. “You’re not afraid of the dish, you know what the ingredients are and you want to make it at home . . . the way you like it.”
Oretta’s Beef Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
3 Star Tested The meatballs are meant to be large enough to be a main but if you want to go the Italian-American way and serve them with spaghetti, make them smaller. Uncooked meatballs can be stored in the freezer, thawed in the fridge overnight and then cooked as usual. 3 thick slices white sandwich bread, crust removed 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk, or enough to soak bread 500g lean ground beef 1 cup (250 mL) packed, finely grated Parmigiano reggiano, plus more for garnish 1 large egg, beaten 11/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt, plus more for tomato sauce 1 tsp (5 mL) ground pepper, plus more for tomato sauce 1/4 cup (60 mL) packed, finely chopped parsley leaves 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder 3/4 tsp (3 mL) ground fennel seeds 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1/2 cup (125 mL) dry white wine 1 medium- sized white onion, finely diced 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 kg (35oz) canned tomatoes with juice, crushed In a large mixing bowl, soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze out any excess milk from bread and discard. Add beef, cheese, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder and fennel. Mix with hands until it just becomes a smooth mixture. Do not overmix. Shape into10 balls, each about 80 g to 85 g in weight. If mixture is too wet, add more cheese or meat. If mixture is too dry, add a bit of milk.
In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. In two to three batches, sear meatballs, careful not to overcrowd pan, until they are browned and reach an internal temperature of 165F (74C). Remove meatballs from heat to let cool.
Deglaze pan with wine over medium-high heat. When liquid reduces to half, add onion and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until onions soften. Add tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat, or until tomatoes cook down and form a thick sauce.
Remove lid. Add cooked meatballs and simmer on low, covered for 5 minutes then uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.
Makes 10 large meatballs. karonliu@thestar.ca