I’m sad that I grew up in Italy and never got to visit Sicily. Well, not that sad…I grew up in Italy! And got to experience Rome and its delicious cuisine. But I can tell from the many traditional Sicilian dishes that I’ve tasted and cooked, that I will fall in love with Sicily and its food culture (For more about Sicilian cuisine, scroll down for the Foodstory).
I use the classic Sicilian combination of raisins and pine nuts in a lot dishes. It works in just about anything! Add the two to a roasted cauliflower salad, braised swiss chard, spaghetti with sardines or some meatballs. In this case, I use lamb for the meatballs, which is a match made in heaven with the sweetness of the golden raisins and the earthiness of the pine nuts.
These Sicilian meatballs simmer in a classic Italian tomato sauce for about an hour, which makes them tender and moist
Add a rich Italian tomato sauce to braise the meatballs in, and you’re spending the evening in a small Sicilian trattoria watching the sun set over the mediterranean.
And why not throw in some anchovies into the sauce? A widely used Sicilian ingredient that pairs perfectly with the richness of lamb.
You can serve these Sicilian meatballs over some pasta or with some freshly baked crusty bread. Since bikini season is right around the corner, I opted to go light on the carbs and paired the dish with a rosemary flavored white bean puree. And frankly, I think it’s tastier than plain old starchy dishes. Or am I just saying that to convince myself? Pasta is my favorite food in the whole world that I cannot eat too much of :/
The rosemary white bean puree is delicious with these Sicilian meatballs and Italian tomato sauce
These Sicilian meatballs will probably not make it through the evening, but should you have left overs, they make a delicious sandwich for lunch the next day! Just spread some of the sauce on a baguette (or some focaccia), layer some meatballs and melt some provolone on top.
You can also add some arugula, for the crunch and you know… just to keep it healthy 😉
Fair cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 small white onion, chopped (or half a large yellow onion)
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- pinch of hot pepper flakes (or up to 1/4 tsp if you like heat)
- 2 mashed anchovies (optional and highly recommended!)
- 1/2 tbs dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes (or regular)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb ground lamb meat
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs
- 2 large garlic cloves finely minced / grated
- 2 finely chopped scallions
- 1 tbs chopped mint
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cans of white beans (cannelloni work great)
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 small onion or half of a large one
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 large rosemary sprig
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- salt and pepper
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy pan wide enough to hold meatballs until butter is just melted. Add chopped small white onion, garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook 4 min. then add mashed anchovy filets, dried oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté on med low until onion is translucent, about 4 min. Deglaze with white wine scraping the bottom and cook until wine is almost evaporated, another 3 min. Add 28 oz can of crushed by hand San Marzano tomatoes, also add some water to the can (about 1/2 cup) and swoosh it a bit to get all the tomato sauce still clinging to the can and add that to the pan as well. Let sauce come to a boil, lower heat to low and simmer sauce for 15 minutes while you prepare the meatballs.
TO MAKE THE MEATBALLS:
Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Form meatballs into uniform balls (1 and 1/2 to 2 inches across). Heat 1/4 cup canola oil (can also use olive oil, but I like using canola because it burns less easily) and fry the meatballs on med heat turning often to brown on all sides about 10 min total per batch. They don't have to be cooked all the way, just browned. Transfer meatballs to simmering sauce, cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Check on them once in a while and stop the sauce, so the bottom does not burn. Add a bit more water if the sauce is drying out too much.
TO MAKE THE ROSEMARY WHITE BEAN PUREE:
Place butter, onion, garlic and rosemary sprig into a saucepan over med low heat. Cook until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Watch to not brown them, you just want them soft. Drain and rinse the beans under cold water and add them to the sauce pan. Season everything with a little salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking on medium heat until the broth is reduced at least by half. Puree the beans either in a blender or using an immersion blender, which I find easier and you don't have a blender to clean. (Btw, if you were to add more stock and not let it reduce too much, you get a delicious rosemary flavored white bean soup!)
Notes
You can use regular tomatoes (Muir Glen is a good brand), but I highly recommend San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them. They are unlike any other canned tomatoes out there and really capture the taste of Italy!
Instructions with Photos
Just click on a picture to see the slideshow!
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- Chop the onion and garlic
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- In a pan large enough to hold all the meatballs, add the olive oil, butter, chopped onion, garlic and pepper flakes.
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- Cook 5 minutes until onions are translucent and add the mashed anchovies, oregano, thyme and bay leaf
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- Sauté another few minutes until herbs are fragrant and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1/4 cup white wine and cook until wine is reduced by half, another 3 to 4 min
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- Crush the tomatoes by hand (I usually just do it in the can) and add to the pan, also pour some water into the can and “swoosh” it around to get all the tomato sauce out and add that as well. Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to low and simmer sauce while you prepare the meatballs (at least 15 min)
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- Chop the green onions and herbs
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- Grate the parmesan
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- Add all the ingredients to a bowl
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- Add the seasonings
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- Wash your hands and get in there! You can use a spoon, but I find that mixing these by hand is best
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- The meat should be slightly sticky
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- And easily shaped into balls
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- You can choose the size you want, I like them about 1 and a half inch wide. If you’re Adding these to spaghetti, you might want them smaller, or if you like giant meatballs…go for it! They will cook all the way in the sauce regardless the size
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- Heat your oil of choice (I use Canola because it has a higher smoking point and it’s neutral, so it doesn’t flavor the food) and add the meatballs in batches
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- Flip them after a couple of minutes, you don’t want to burn them…just get them nice and golden all over. Try to keep their shape round and turn them while they cook so they brown on ALL sides
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- When the meatballs are done, add them in a single layer to the pan, cover and simmer on low for 45 min to an hour. Check on them once in a while and stir the pan a bit.
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- While meatballs cook, prepare the beans. Add onion, garlic and rosemary sprig to a saucepan along with 1 tbs of butter. Sauté for 7 min on med low heat (don’t burn!) until onions are soft
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- Rinse the beans under cold water in a colander and add to the onions. Add the chicken stock, and simmer beans until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 min
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- Remove the rosemary, and either puree in a blender or use an immersion blender
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- Season with salt and fresh black pepper to taste
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- Get some pretty dishes, spoon some white bean puree on half of the plate
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- Then spoon some of the sauce on the other half and arrange some meatballs in the center
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- I recommend a sprinkle of some chopped parsley for freshness and, of course, some freshly grated parmesan
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- Enjoy every bite of these yummy Sicilian lamb meatballs!
Sounds delicious and different!
They are SO delicious and you are right… a nice break from the usual meatballs. The white bean puree goes so well with them, but mashed potatoes would work too 🙂
I made this for tonight’s dinner, and my wife pronounced it ‘As good as a five star restaurant’. Now I really think that’s a slight exaggeration, but I’d definitely serve it to guests!
Hello! So happy to hear the recipe was a success! Makes me want to make these delightful and super flavorful meatballs for dinner tonight 🙂