Oven-baked Sicilian Meatballs

2013-06-20

Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizers and Snacks
Skill Level: Easy

Yield : 24
Servings : 8

You can serve these with a sauce of your choice but they stand on their own

Ingredients

2/3 cup soft bread crumbs
3 tbsp milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped onions
1/3 cup snipped fresh basil
4 tbsp toasted pine nuts
3 tbsp dried currants
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic minced
¼ tsp ground pepper
1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage meat

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven 350F. In a bowl combine bread crumbs and milk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in egg, cheese, onions, basil, pine nuts, currants salt, pepper and garlic. Add sausage meat mix well. BUT do not OVER MIX. or you will have a chewy meatball. Shape into 24 balls ( see tip). Place meatballs in a 10 x 15 x 1 baking sheet, lined with foil for easy clean-up. Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until done (160F). Drain off fat.

Step 2

TIP: To make balls, of equal size, scoop with a melon baller or ice cream scoop. You can also pat out on a sheet of wax paper and cut into equal squares then gently roll. Can be done ahead, tightly covered and refrigerated, uncooked for up to 24 hours