Recipes:
Sicilian-Styled Grilled Meatballs with Lemon Peel and Bay Leaf
Currant and Pine Nut Meatballs with Escarole Salad
Ziti and Meatballs in a Rosemary Marsala Sauce
The aroma of polpettine, meatballs, frying in olive oil is one of the vivid taste memories of my childhood. A scent arises the moment the meatballs hit the hot oil, and an enticing sourness is released when the pecorino or provolone cheese that has been mixed in gets slightly scorched. These were the smells of Sunday supper. Every Italian American I’ve talked to about this memory has recalled their urge to grab a few just-seared meatballs and eat them before they got lowered into the big pot of dark red sauce to simmer. It was like licking frosting off the mixer blades before it went on the cake. Anyone who grew up in a family where they were prepared regularly knows that meatballs led two lives. In the first life they were crisp, juicy, greasy, with a core of pink, snatched hot from the pan. That was the appetizer of choice for me, with all its flavors, including cheese, garlic, parsley, and even a hint of nutmeg, vibrant and defined. The second life, really the main event, was when the finished dish arrived at the table, with the meatballs transformed by gentle simmering in sauce into tender, suave mouthfuls, infused with wine, tomato, and herbs.
One mellowly simmered meatball dish my mother often made when I was a kid included potatoes, string beans, and a winey tomato sauce. She made the meatballs with a mix of beef chuck and ground pork and sometimes included pine nuts and raisins, a custom of her father’s Sicilian family. I often make them that way, adding a pinch of cinnamon to round out all the flavors (this recipe can be found in my book The Flavors of Southern Italy). I also fondly remember baby meatballs simmered in a light broth along with bitter greens like dandelions or escarole. As a child I thought that a very refined dish. And my family served more rustic-style meatballs simmered in tomato sauce and presented alongside a bowl of penne or ziti dressed with some of the sauce. These meatballs were seasoned with a generous hit of pecorino, parsley, and nutmeg. Occasionally the meatballs appeared as a second course, after the pasta, accompanied by a vegetable such as broccoli rabe. I make versions of that classic dish all the time, playing with the seasoning, changing it to suit my mood. The one I offer you here is flavored with the musky fall aromas of Marsala wine and rosemary.
The hot, crisp, just-cooked first-life meatball was not considered a proper meal by my family, but I make it often now. I like to serve fragrant, just-sautéed meatballs over a cool salad, a mix of slightly bitter greens such as arugula or chicory with maybe a slightly sharp lemon-juice-and-olive-oil dressing to cut the meatballs’ richness. I offer you here a version of that, borrowing the pine-nut-and-raisin meatballs from my mother’s string bean dish to plop on top. Another option, when I want meatballs in their juicy, crisp state, is to grill them. For that I make versions of a classic Sicilian recipe of meatballs skewered with lemon leaves and cooked over a flame. I can’t often find lemon leaves in my markets, but a mix of lemon peel and fresh bay leaves works fine, providing a different aroma but one that preserves the spirit of the dish.
Meatballs were created to make a little meat go a long way, and they are a classic in the Italian cucina povera kitchen, but their aroma is so enticing that I view them as an opulent treat and tend to season them elaborately. If I’m serving grilled or sautéed meatballs, I’ll include a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as mint, marjoram, flat-leaf parsley, or a bit of rosemary or sage, for a bright and vibrant taste. Often I add a little finely chopped salami to meatballs I’m only grilling; the quick cooking keeps the salami’s rich taste strong. Lemon or orange zest in the mix provides a shot of acidity to balance the meat’s heaviness. When I’m simmering meatballs in a sauce, I sometimes add minced shallot or onion, whose raw edge will mellow with the cooking. A little shot of Marsala or red wine often finds its way into the mix too. Pine nuts with either raisins or currants make up a classic seasoning duo in Southern Italian meatball recipes, and I occasionally use a handful of chopped pistachios or almonds instead of the pine nuts. A dollop of ricotta worked into the meat lightens the texture of a simmered meatball, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ground fennel seed, or a hint of clove or allspice add a roundness of flavor while also releasing some of their own essence into the sauce.
Sicilian-Style Meatballs with Lemon Peel and Bay Leaf
These meatballs are very fragrant and juicy. Keep them a bit pink in the center and serve them with rice or couscous
(Serves 4, or 5 as a main course)
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
3 thin slices of soppressata, cut into very small dice
1 large egg
1 thick slice of day old Italian bread with its crust (the inside should still be a bit moist), ground to medium crumb in a food processor
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Leaves from 4 marjoram sprigs, lightly chopped
A few gratings of nutmeg
The grated zest from 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon dry Marsala or vermouth
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
About 24 fresh bay leaves, preferably the Turkish variety, soaked in a small bowl of water for 5 minutes (so they don’t burn)
The zest from 2 lemons, removed in wide pieces with a swivel style peeler or a sharp paring knife (including as little white pith as possible), plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
6 8-inch metal skewers (wooden ones are fine, but you’ll need to soak them in water for a few minutes so they don’t burn)In a large bowl combine the ground pork, soppressata, egg, ground bread, Grana Padano, marjoram, nutmeg, lemon zest, Marsala or vermouth, and garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and mix everything with your hands just until all the ingredients are well distributed. Form the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs (you should get about two dozen meatballs). Skewer the meatballs, putting a bay leaf and a piece of lemon peel between each one (use 6 skewers with only 4 meatballs on each for easy handling).
Season the skewers lightly with salt and a little fresh black pepper and drizzle them with olive oil.
Grill over medium heat on either an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill plate. Turn the skewers 4 times so they’re nicely browned all around. The total grilling time should be about 8 minutes. When they’re done they should have a very slight pinkness in the center.
Currant and Pine Nut Meatballs with Escarole Salad
I’ve made these meatballs without any bread filler, but include instead a little ricotta, which keeps them moist and light. They make for a casual meal meant to be shared with family or close friends who don’t mind straight-from-the-skillet informality, as the meatballs need to be plopped right on top of a waiting salad the second they’re browned and hot.
I like to serve them with a side of hot sauce. I usually have a tube of harisa, the Moroccan red-pepper sauce, hanging around the kitchen, and I thin it with a little hot water or broth and dab a bit on the meatballs.
(Serves 5 as a main course)
For the meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/4 cup currants soaked in about 2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup pine nuts, plus a handful lightly toasted for garnish
A pinch of ground cinnamon (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
A drizzle of honey (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta
About 6 basil leaves, well chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1/2 cup more for sautéing
Salt
A pinch of cayenne pepperFor the salad:
1 large head escarole, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
12 sweet cherry tomatoes, left whole (to echo the shape of the meatballs)
A small palmful of capers
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
A pinch of sugar
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepperIn a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix everything together quickly with your fingers, just until all the flavors are well distributed (overworking them can make them cook up a little tough). Form into 1-inch meatballs and refrigerate until you plan on sautéing them (since there’s no bread in them, the mix is a bit soft; keeping them refrigerated helps firm them up).
When you’re ready to assemble the salad, set out five large salad plates. In a large salad bowl, combine the escarole, shallot, cherry tomatoes, and capers. Pour the vinegar into a small bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and a slightly larger pinch of salt. Add the olive oil and whisk to blend.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of olive oil over medium high flame. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs (if the skillet gets too crowded, do the meatballs in batches). Brown them all over, leaving them slightly pink at the center. This should take about 5 minutes of occasional turning. As they brown, place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Grind a little fresh black pepper over the escarole, add the dressing, and toss. Divide the salad up onto the plates. Place a few meatballs around each salad and garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve right away.
Ziti and Meatballs in a Rosemary Marsala Sauce
When I’ve ordered pasta with meatballs in Southern Italy I’ve always been served it not with spaghetti but with a chunky, sturdy pasta like ziti or rigatoni, and the meatballs have almost always been on a separate plate. That’s how it was served in my family too. The flavors of Marsala and rosemary give this dish, to my culinary mind, the taste of autumn.
(Serves 4 or 5)
For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
3/4 pound ground veal
3 very thin slices Prosciutto di Parma, excess fat removed and saved to use in the sauce, and the meat well chopped
1 small shallot, minced
The leaves from 1 medium sprig rosemary, minced
The leaves from a few large flat-leaf parsley sprigs, well chopped
1 clove, ground to powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1/2 cup for sautéing the meatballsFor the sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
The prosciutto fat from the meatball recipe, well chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced
2 large sprigs of rosemary, left whole
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 clove, ground to powder
1/2 cup dry Marsala
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor until roughly chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
The leaves from a few large flat-leaf parsley sprigs, lightly chopped
1 large chunk of Grana Padano cheese for grating1 pound ziti, penne, or rigatoni
To make the meatballs: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands just until everything is well distributed. Make sure to season well with salt and black pepper. Shape the mix into approximately half-inch balls and refrigerate until you cook them.
To make the sauce: In a large saucepot or casserole, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium flame. Add the prosciutto fat, shallot, and carrot and sauté until the vegetables have softened and the fat has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, and ground clove and sauté a minute or so longer, just until fragrant. Add the Marsala and let it boil for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook at a lively simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, set up a large skillet over medium-high flame and pour in the half cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the meatballs and brown them all over (you may need to do this in batches). When the meatballs are browned add them to the sauce, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 35 minutes. Taste the sauce, adding a bit more salt and some freshly ground pepper if needed.
Set up a large pot of water for cooking the pasta and add a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and add the ziti.
Scoop the meatballs from the pot, along with some sauce, into a large serving bowl. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Keep warm.
When the ziti is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce, giving everything a good toss over low heat to blend all the flavors. Transfer the ziti to a large warmed serving bowl and grate a little Grana Padano on top.
Serve the ziti first, with the remaining chunk of Grana Padano brought to the table, and then bring out the meatballs with a vegetable such as sautéed escarole or broccoli rabe, or a green salad.
Erica De Mane 
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