Meatball Parmesan

Name: Meatball Parmesan
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: american, italian
Ingredients: 3 slices white bread (stale is fine); 1/3 cup milk; 1 pound ground pork or veal; 1 pound ground beef; 1/2 cup finely chopped onion; 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; Olive oil, for frying; 5 cups Simple Tomato Sauce (see recipe); 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

By Melissa Clark

Updated April 13, 2023

Meatball Parmesan — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Rating: 5(1,435)
Comments: Read comments

Whether you scoop this onto a toasted semolina hero roll for a sandwich, or serve it straight from the pan with garlic bread on the side, meatball Parmesan makes a filling, savory meal. You can form the meatballs up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to fry. But they are best fried just before baking. Serve this with some kind of crisp green vegetable on the side.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

3slices white bread (stale is fine)
⅓cup milk
1pound ground pork or veal
1pound ground beef
½cup finely chopped onion
1¼cups finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼cup chopped parsley
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
1tablespoon kosher salt
1teaspoon black pepper
Olive oil, for frying
5cups Simple Tomato Sauce (see recipe)
½pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 400. Remove crusts from bread slices and discard. Tear remaining bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour milk over bread and let stand until liquid is almost absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine pork or veal, beef, soaked bread, onion, ¼ cup Parmesan, the parsley, the garlic, the salt and the pepper until just combined. Form meat into golf-ball-size rounds. (You should have about 25 meatballs.) Meatballs can be formed up to 24 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated before frying.
Step 3
Fill a large skillet with ¼-inch oil. Place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer fried meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 4
Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce. Scatter half the meatballs over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces. Top with half of the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan, and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.
Step 5
Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,435 user ratings

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Comments

SonomaSMB7 years ago

I'm really amazed at the 5 star rating for this recipe. There is absolutely nothing special about it. There are so many better meatball recipes out there, including Melissa's.
"Discard crusts." I wish the NYT cooks would be more concerned with food waste. A small thing, but throwing out white bread crusts which are going to be turned to mush is ridiculous.
And frying meatballs which are going to be baked for 40 minutes. I bake meatballs all the time and they turn out great.

Virpilosus7 years ago

Hi Everyojne: Thanks to my dear Mom (born and raised in Italy), I would recommend adding 1 beaten egg per 1 lb. of meat...therefore this recipe would require 2 eggs. Other than that, I could quibble here and there regarding some extra "spicing,." (e.g., a bit of oregano or Italian parsley), but I think it will still taste great "as presented," but, as I mentioned, with the additions of the eggs to the meat mixture.

Anita7 years ago

As the recipe recommended, I had 25 meatballs. Putting half of these--say 13--in the bottom of a 9x13 pan results in an arrangement of very spaced out meatballs, not an actual "layer." I get impression we are supposed to aim for a double-decker casserole, with two distinct meatball "layers." This did not happen for me. All meatballs were on the bottom "layer". Which was fine. Anyone else having trouble with the "layers' concept?

dogatmyfeet2 weeks ago

I didn't make meatballs. Instead I used Gardein brand "ultimate" plantballs. Used them in the rest of the recipe. Very very tasty. Oh, due to unforeseen circumstances I left them in the oven too long. The sauce became deeply dark red and was delicious anyway!

Liz1 month ago

This was so simple and good. I actually teared up at the first bite. The frying added a great flavor, but you could probably skip that step if you’re in a hurry. I also don’t understand all the commenters who changed the recipe. I have enjoyed some meatball recipes made with egg, but I like the flavors in this dish. It’s the combo that makes it. You don’t need egg. The flavors are perfect as is.

Erica Z1 month ago

I added most of the cheese to the meatball mixture, along with two eggs (as other comments suggested). I did not want to add calories by frying, so I put a layer of sauce in the 9x13 pan placed the meatballs in one layer, then added the reamining jar of sauce (I used Rao's marinara). I sprinkled with a bit of parm and covered with foil. I baked in 375 oven for about 30 minutes. The meatballs were tender and soaked up the sauce nicely. We used them for meatball sandwiches.

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