Grandma Rose, Aka “Nonnie” came to visit recently and we cooked this together in my kitchen while tasting this, adjusting that, and chatting the whole way through. When she later asked me for the recipe, I was floored because MY ITALIAN GRANDMA liked my Italian recipe. #goalsacheived. I was thrilled to share it. And I am blessed to have married her grandson and become part of her family. I love her zest for life and the lens through which she sees the world. Nonnie, this one’s for you:)
Creamy polenta, complex savory meatballs and a balanced tomato sauce, what more could I ask for? Once again the garlic confit in this recipe is everything. The depth of flavor it adds to the meatballs and sauce cannot be understated. The Parmesan in the meatball mixture also adds loads of umami and an interesting bright note so the more, the merrier. To be honest I’ve yet to add too much Parmesan. And the chopped herby parsley gives this mixture a wholesome colorful element that lifts these meatballs up and away from bland. And as always, something about all that green just makes you feel good making it.
Pair these meatballs with this simple sauce and see how basic shredded carrots sweeten the acidity of the sauce while also sneaking in some orange veggies for nutrition. Then the fresh Rosemary brings rich aroma and flavorful interest.
“This meal sings. It hits all the notes, with the creamy, comforting, smooth polenta bringing it home.”
Contrasting the sweet acidity in the sauce, lay these meatballs on a creamy foundation and discover how this meal sings. It hits all the notes, with the creamy, comforting, smooth polenta bringing it home. Also, if you simple use GF breadcrumbs, this whole meal is naturally gluten free, a handy recipe to have up your sleeve when a friend needs it.
Meatballs & Polenta Recipe
Ingredients:
Meatballs & Sauce:
6 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled
olive oil to coat pan
2 whole onions, finely diced
3 carrots, shredded
1-2 sprigs Rosemary, chopped
1 can San Marzano tomatoes
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
plenty of salt
black pepper, course ground
Polenta:
1 cup corn meal
4.5 cups chicken stock, (or bouillon equivalent)
1/4 c parmesan
4 TBPS butter
fresh basil
Method:
Turn stove on low and coat a small pan with olive oil. Add all of the cloves of smashed garlic and slowly simmer for 30 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic, only softly brown it. This is your garlic confit.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, saute 1 onion, carrot, and rosemary in oil until soft and fragrant. Add San Marzano tomatoes and 2 cloves of garlic confit, finely chopped. Simmer mostly covered and add a small amount of water every now and then if the sauce begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Gently mix ground beef, plenty of salt, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, black pepper, 1 onion and 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic confit. Fry a tablespoon of the meat mixture in a small pan with oil. Once it’s cooked through, taste it and add salt if you don’t want to eat 10x more of it. It should make your mouth water.
Once the meat mixture is well-seasoned, scoop approximately 1/4 cup of meat and roll into balls. Wet your hands to keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands. Place each meatball onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of oil and bake 15-20 minutes, until center of the meatball reaches 165F. Then add meatballs to the sauce and simmer on low until ready to serve.
For the creamy polenta, whisk polenta into 4.5 cups of broth in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Whisk until mixture begins to bubble, then reduce heat to low and simmer until polenta is thick and creamy. Add butter, salt and Parmesan . Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
To serve, spoon polenta into a wide bowl, top with meatballs, sauce, fresh basil, a twist of black pepper, and a drizzle of the oil from the garlic confit.