Sicilian Meatballs for Two (Date Night Dinner!)
This Sicilian Meatballs for Two recipe with dried currants and pesto make these meatballs distinctly Sicilian. Intensely flavored we bake these meatballs in a bright, garlicky, 5-minute, no-fuss tomato sauce. For a next-level finishing touch finish, top the meatballs with creamy melted fontina and sprinkling sprinklewith fresh basil.
Servings: 6 meatballs
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves ,sliced thin
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce canned tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- Pinch of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup red wine full bodied cabernet sauvignon
For the meatballs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs or crushed saltines
- 6 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated (use a rasp-style grater)
- 2 Tablespoons basil pesto - you can substitute 1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts and 1.5 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil for 2 Tablespoons of basil pesto. Try making your own pesto using the pesto recipe found in the grilled pesto chicken cobb salad
- 2 Tablespoons onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic – mincing one fresh garlic clove is works great if you don’t have any granulated garlic.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ lb sweet Italian sausage casings removed
- ½ lb ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons dried currants
- 2 ounces fontina cheese ,shredded (½ cup)
For Serving
- ½ lb penne pasta
Instructions
For the sauce
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat your oven to 400 degrees. Now, whip together the no-fuss sauce by heating the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of oregano, a pinch of sugar, pepper flakes, salt, and wine. Now, let it simmer long enough to let the flavors meld, about 5-minutes. Cover and keep warm while you make the meatball mix.
For the meatballs
- Spray a broiler-safe 8 by 8-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Whisk panko, milk, and the egg together in a large bowl. Let sit until the panko is softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk the panko mixture until a smooth paste forms.
- Combine panko mixture with Parmesan, pesto, onion, granulated garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, add beef and sausage and currants and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Shape the meatballs: Using wet hands, form mixture into 1 ¼-inch balls. Place in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake until meatballs register 160 degrees - 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- For a next-level finishing touch, remove from oven, uncover dish and sprinkle meatballs evenly with fontina. Heat broiler. Broil meatballs until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve over a bed of pasta, garnish with parmesan and sprinkle with basil. Pass remaining sauce.
Video
Notes
Pasta Cooking Timing:
If serving with Pasta, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Do this after you remove the meatballs from the oven. Start your pasta and then preheat the broiler, uncover the dish, sprinkle the meatballs evenly with fontina. While the pasta is cooking broil the meatballs until the cheese is melted.
If serving with Pasta, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Do this after you remove the meatballs from the oven. Start your pasta and then preheat the broiler, uncover the dish, sprinkle the meatballs evenly with fontina. While the pasta is cooking broil the meatballs until the cheese is melted.