Homemade Italian Meatballs

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, grated cheese and parsley. Use a microplane grater to finely grate in the garlic and onion (you want about 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons of onion pulp).

Step 3

Add the milk and eggs, then mix until totally combined. If the breadcrumbs and milk have seized up and gotten hard, add a few splashes of milk until it loosens enough to easily mix.

Step 4

Add the meat and mix with a fork or your hands until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly distributed and the mixture is homogeneous. Be careful not to overmix or it will cause the meatballs to become tough.

Step 5

Wet your hands and form the meat into whatever size balls you desire - I like them to be about 1/4 cup big. Space them out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake for about 7 minutes, then turn to the other side and bake for an additional 7 minutes. The meatballs should be nicely browned on two sides. While the meatballs are baking, prepare your sauce or have it heating up on the stove.

Step 7

Place the meatballs directly into the sauce after cooking. Simmer on the lowest heat setting possible for approximately 1 hour. If you need to keep them for longer, turn off the heat and just let them sit in the sauce until ready to serve, then gently bring them back up to temperature.

Step 8

Serve meatballs with al dente pasta, extra sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of ricotta and a sprig of fresh basil.