Sicilian-Style Meatballs
- Recipe by Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli
Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli say that dried currants and pine nuts make these meatballs distinctly Sicilian.
- ACTIVE: 1 HR
- TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 45 MIN
- SERVINGS: 12
- Make-Ahead
- Staff Favorite
Recipe
Ingredients
- Two 28-ounce cans peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices of white sandwich bread
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced marjoram
- 2 pounds ground beef chuck
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
- Pour the tomatoes into a large enameled cast-iron casserole and crush them. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, soak the bread in water until saturated. Squeeze out the water and transfer the bread to a large bowl. Mash the bread to a paste and stir in the eggs, garlic, parsley, marjoram, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Mash until smooth. Add the chuck, currants, pine nuts and cheese and mix until combined. Add the bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead until the mixture is firm enough to roll. Form the mixture into 36 meatballs (about 3 tablespoons each), tucking in the currants and pine nuts.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs in 2 batches and fry over moderate heat, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve in bowls, passing more cheese at the table.
Wine
These marjoram-inflected meatballs seem to have been created with the Sicilian red variety Nero d’ Avola in mind. Look for the lightly smoky 2005 Regaleali or the spicy 2005 Morgante.Reviews
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User Reviews

(Average Rating)
Very good -- Very easy. I love that you can make it ahead, for the masses and not spend the evening in the kitchen when all the guests are there.
Posted by: robertbuttrill on January 3, 2008
Honestly, this recipe is awesome. All of the ingredients are readily available in a local supermarket, which is rare with some of these recipes. Additionally, the food was really good. Currants in the meatballs.... good work.
Posted by: amthomas18 on October 21, 2007
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