Since it’s become colder here I thought I’d jump back into our Norway trip. This was the incredible view at one of our campsites before heading to Geiranger, a UNESCO world heritage fjord. We spent an hour at the Norse Fjordsenter Museum and Art Gallery before taking the ferry to Hellesylt and back so we could leave our van behind for affordability.

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We saw incredible landscapes including these waterfalls: Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil.

We loved this experience.. and particularly enjoyed the Seven Sisters waterfall.

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But I digress.. back home in Calgary we have had much cooler weather this past week and even limited visibility on Highway 40 due to snowfall! My hiking days have been limited due to work as well.. but I still found time to experiment in the kitchen!

Autumn requires all recipes henceforth be heartwarming!

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Enter on cue.. a new meatball recipe that I adore, modified slightly from a New York Times recipe, this tastes cozy and most certainly Italian!

In the world of food trends, “passata” has started gaining more attention. My daughter recommended it to me and I have since learned that it is an uncooked and strained tomato puree, perfect for this recipe! There was a plethora of choices.. so overwhelming and in the end I bought this chunky version as it was recommended to me by a loveliest clerk at the Italian Supermarket. 

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The recipe as written here is doubled because..

well.. more meatballs
and I thought my kids might want some!

This made about 45 smallish meatballs. I baked each batch on their own cookie sheet and then cooked them in their own pot of sauce, easy to do with two jars of passata.

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The rest of the batch are now tucked away in my freezer for the next snowy day!

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Italian Meatballs in Passata Sauce

 

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Original Italian ingredients are what takes this recipe to a new level. I used original style ricotta which had much less liquid than a grocery store blend. My garlic was massive so I expect there is much more than "one clove" in each "clove" added!

Author: Barbara Barry

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole-milk original style ricotta
• 1/2 cup finely and freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• **4 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (to taste) and 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 pound regular ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• Tomato Sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 (680 ml) jar Gigi Thick & Chunky Passata Rustica (or similar) or 2 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (Passata has a much richer texture and flavour, found in Italian Supermarkets)
• fresh basil leaves for serving

Instructions

1. Meatballs:
2. In a very large bowl, stir together the eggs, ricotta, pecorino romano, parsley, panko bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper, mixing well. You may need to press/break up any larger pieces of ricotta to blend.
3. IMPORTANT: ** Because I doubled the original recipe I used 4 tsp salt here. The end result tasted fine but may be too salty for some, so please adjust the salt to taste.
4. ALSO IMPORTANT: **Only use Diamond Crystal Kosher brand as it is much less "salty" in taste than regular kosher salt. If switching to another form of salt you must cut the salt down substantially!
5. Add the ground beef and pork. Using your hands mix together, almost gently folding and pushing to blend, this keeps the meatballs tender.
6. Using a scoop, measure smaller meatballs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Since I doubled the recipe I had two cookie sheets with 20 small meatballs on each.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until slightly browned. Then remove from oven.
8. Tomato Sauce:
9. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon each, high quality olive oil in two separate saucepans or large woks. Grate one large garlic into each pan. Stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant and not browned, about 1 minute.
10. Pour one jar of Passata into each pot. Simmer on low for 4-5 minutes until sauce has thickened. You do NOT need to season as there is enough salt and pepper in the meatballs.
11. Add half of the meatballs to each pan of sauce and continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has reduced, approximately 20 minutes.
12. Serve separately or on a bed of freshly cooked pasta.

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