I am really excited to share this recipe with you today.
My husband went away for business for a few days and when he came back I presented him with a warming hearty meal: Sicilian meatballs served with a delicious organic cabbage, spelt bread to mop up the juices and a good full bodied fruity Sicilian Nero d’Avola wine.
I bought very lean mince, made a sauce with tomatoes, added pinenuts and sultanas… the meat was so tender it was addictive! I swear this is one of the tastiest meals I have made in ages. This recipe would be fabulous for a dinner party and can be made in advance. This could also be a good sauce for pasta.
Whilst making this recipe I have been wearing my new smart apron which states: “I bake therefore I am” as this suits me perfectly.
I dried my washing up with my new tea towel all courtesy ofย Brainbox Candy which today is offering the same apron and tea towel to 3 lucky My Little Italian Kitchen readers. If you would like the chance to win enter the gleam box below.
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- Three winners will be randomly selected, announced in the Gleam giveaway box and contacted via their provided e-mail address. Please claim your prize within 4 days of being notified.
- Giveaway open toย UK residents over the age of 18 only.
- This giveaway closes on 31st October 2015
Win a Brainbox Candy apron and tea towel
Sicilian Meatballs Recipe
- Prep Time : 30 minutes
- Cook Time : 35 minutes
Ingredients
- lean mince - 800 g - 28 oz - a little less than 4 cups
- bread - 100 g - 2 cups
- onion - 1
- parsley - small bunch
- basil leaves - handful
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- chopped tomatoes - 2 cans (800g - a little less than 4 cups)
- pinenuts - 2 tbsp
- sultanas - 3 tbsp
- grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese - 3 tbsp
- egg - 1
Instructions
Cut the bread into pieces and soak it in little warm water. In a colander wash the sultanas under warm running water and set aside.
Chop finely the parsley and the garlic.
In a bowl put the mince, the squeezed bread, the chopped garlic and parsley, the egg, salt and pepper, Pecorino or Parmesan cheese and using your hands combine well all your ingredients.
Form small balls the size of a walnut.
In a large pan heat up 4 tbsp of olive oil and when it is hot add the meatballs. Brown them for 5 minutes or so turning them to allow them to cook evenly then remove them from the pan and put them on a plate.
Chop the onion finely. In the same pan add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the onion; stir fry until translucent for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, the basil leaves, salt and pepper and let it bubble up for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time. Add the meatballs, the sultanas and the pinenuts and continue cooking for a further 20 minutes over a low heat.
Serve this fantastic dish with a robust and fruity red wine. What a fantastic meal this was! If you make it too I am sure you will love it.
I received an apron and teatowel from Brainbox Candy to review. No payment was received. All opinions are my own.
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I love meatballs, and this recipe sounds great. I am in the United States of America, so count me out of your Giveaway, but I bet your winners will be thrilled Speaking of thrilled, I am very pleased to have found your site!
English Hearty Meals ๐
italian
Italian is my favourite ๐
What’s your favourite type of cuisine? . . . . . . lndian
I love all things Italian, so I’m definitely going to try this meatball recipe out. Looks great
I love Asian food ๐
Meatballs are my husband’s top favourite! You look cute wearing that apron!
Thank you sweetie x
I love italian food especially chicken in a mushroom sauce
my favourite is Indian cuisine
Mine is Italian
italian thankyou
Dear Alida,
What a beautiful bowl of meatballs…Love your recipe, somewhat similar to mine. Glad to see that you have fried them instead of baking them. I fry mine and then add them to the sauce to cook more. I just don’t use pinenuts, but I will try that next time…So happy that your husband enjoyed his dinner…I love that apron and the tea towels are also nice. Wonderful post! Have a good rest of the day!
Dottie ๐
Thanks Dottie, I still have some leftover meatballs, they last really well in the fridge and I have made two meals out of them. I know you make very good meatballs, your mum certainly knew how to make them!
Italiam for me
Vietnamese
I love Thai!
Thai !
Italian.
chinese
Italian – especially anything with garlic in it
it would have to be italian for me
We love Chinese in our house! x
We love Indian food in our house nice hot and spicy ๐
Love Indian food
I love Indian
Hearty British Fayre
Mexican food
Love mexican food
British through and through, give me a sunday roast any day of the week!
Love Italian food.
It depends on my mood, but it’s a toss up between Turkish and Japanese!
Italian i cant get enough of it x
Indian!! Wish I could eat it everyday! ๐
All sorts! But I’m a big fan of Chinese food.
indian
Italian lovely xx
Italian is my favourite
Indian is my fav at the moment xx
north african
Its extremely close between Chinese and Italian. If forced to pick though, Chinese for us x
Italian flavours and pasta float my boat – often emulated, never surpassed, this is 100% my favourite type of cuisine
I would say – European! Polish, Swedish and Italian in particular!
chinese x
I love all types but my favourite is italian x
I love Indian especially a lovely creamy chicken korma
Indian
I like stews – doesn’t matter where in the world they originate.
Indian
I love Chinese.x
I’m a bit boring & like “nursery food” like cottage pie or steak & chips.
Hmmmm, can I pick everything. If i had to pick I’d have to go Chinese.
I love most cuisines, if I would have to choose I would pick Italian.
I love Indian food
Quanto mi piacciono queste sugose polpettine…. meritano la scarpetta!!!!
I love Indian food
Indian or Moroccan! I just love curries and tagines
Italian, especially pizza
Our meatballs are identical Alida the only difference is that mum would skip the frying part and just cook them in the tomato sugo. Gonna make them again, alla siciliana naturalmente. Need to get a bottle of the divine Nero D’Avola, sigh ๐
Brava! Meatballs are so delicious especially if you pair them with a good red wine!
I like Italian food.
Italian x
I love anything with a bit of spice – Indian, Thai, Mexican x
I love Chinese food!!
Love, love, love Italian food.
I love Spanish cuisine. Love tapas, calamari is my favourite!
Italian has to be my favourite
Italian!
Italian food is my favourite
I love Italian!
Overall I think I’d go for Greek – uncomplicated, but interesting and tasty
I love Chinese food ๐
Che bel piatto saporito e invitante, sono troppo buone, bravissima Alida!
Buona domenica, ciao!
Royal Thai cuisine
Italian!
We like a variety but Italian is our favourite
Love italian
Chinese
Looks good
English
i do love chinese, its always a friday treat in our house as its my daughters dance night and such a rush around.
Has to be Chinese. Yummy
Probably Chinese! The proper veggie stir fries!
It’s got to be Italian ๐
Mexican, I just love the chilli and spices ๐
Italian!
I love a good roast dinner ๐
I love stir fry and pasta dishes xx
Mexican, yum!
I love Italian food
Italian – always a winner for me!
Love meatballs
Mine is Italian.
My favourite is Chinese
My favourite meal is Pizza!
Has to be Italian or Chinese ๐
italian.
Anything Greek, particularly Stifado, Kleftiko and Soussoukakia
i love italian food
English, nothing wrong with a good old Cottage Pie
I like the traditional British roast on a Sunday.
It has to be Italian
Thai
Love British then italian
Japanese
Italian food is delicious.
My favourite type of cuisine is Italian however I cannot ignore British Roast ๐
Pizza or Thai ๐
Italian, love pasta
Nothing beats a good British Roast Dinner. Having said that, I love to try different recipes from around the world.
Italian love pasta
I like Thai
Love chinese .
West Indian – nothing nicer than fried chicken with rice and peas.
Italian for everyday, and Chinese for special occasions
Greek at the moment, I alternate. I host themed dinner parties the next is Greek night on halloween.
I love Italian food, olives & sundried tomatoes
Indian ๐
I love Italian and Mexican food, it’s too hard to pick a favourite!!
It would have to be either Italian or Chinese.
I love Italian food! x
Thai food is wonderful.
Rural french cuisine
Italian is my favourite x
Mexican! ๐
Italian is my favourite
I’m Italian too… nothing beats our style ๐
I love Greek food but I’m going to give this meatball recipe a try as it looks delicious ๐
I love a lot of cuisines but it always comes back to Italian, theres just something very comforting about it!
I like Indian food.
Indian
I hadn’t realised how easy it was to make meatballs from scratch. Will certainly be trying this recipe
I like Italian x
Italian x
Vietnamese or chinese ๐ x
British ๐
I love Indian
British ๐
I love all cuisines, particularly Chinese… it’s my fave to cook too!
I love all foods.
italian
Fish and Chips
i love Indian food – the more authentic the better.
I have very eclectic taste, I just like food.
I like Italian best ๐
Really getting into Eastern European at the moment.
British
Asian cuisine for me. Love the variety of spices..
We love Italian. x
I like Thai curry and Italian pasta.
Italian
I love Italian food – I think I will try that recipe for my fiance and alter it slightly to make mine vegetarian. (@PeanutHog)
I love Italian food. Pizza pasta and olives all the way.
French
My flatmate has been introducing me to lots of Colombian food – it has been very interesting!
I love Italian! I am a carboholic!
Traditional British followed by Italian.
I’m a big fan of Italian (it’s the Garlic) followed by Chinese
I love Thai food!
indian ๐
Lebanese is my absolute favourite
I love Italian cooking
I love Greek, lots of lamb and olives
Italian of course ๐
I love many kinds but Italian is the cuisine I fall back on when I want something fresh and hearty.
probably american but its hard to choose as there are so many foods i enjoy
Italian – particularly pizza
I like all types of cuisine, but the best for using hands and picking things out is Mexican Fajitas
I love italian food
British or Italian, I’m not a very spicy person lol
Italian
British followed by other cuisines I like to try
italian
LOVE COOKING CHINESE. ITALIAN A CLOSE SECOND.
Italian
My favourite cuisine is Antipodean. It’s a mix of British, Asian, Pacific Island and local food – all bathed in glorious sunshine.
Absolutely love Italian food. Had a pizza for tea last night and JUST had tuna pasta for dinner. ๐ Luckily most of our house love Italian as well, so there’s no complaints. Lasagne for tea. ๐
Indian for me, i do love a mexican too. Oooooh! xx
i love mexican food
Mexican ๐ x
I love Chinese food
Mexican
Italian!
Traditioal British fayre, especially anything with suet in it!
Love just about anything, Italian, Chinese, French, English, you name it, I like it
We love Italian food!
Italian โฅ
Italian-I have not found a recipe I don’t love – yum!
I love spicy Mexican!
Italian ๐
Depends on my mood as I love Italian, Turkish, African, Croatian, French, Indian and to be different American!
Is there an alternative to a tomato base sauce for meatballs?
You don’t always need to serve meatballs with tomato sauce. I often make them and serve them just with salad. If you like a dip, yogurt with finely chopped parsley and capers would be a good one.
i love mexican!
Italian x
English! I love a roast beef dinner ๐
Mexican food! It’s soooooo tasty and colourful!
Italian!
If I had to pick one it would be British, but I love so many different countries! Particularly into Mediterranean atm
Italian food x
italian or indian
Made this dish and froze it to have when we got back from a fab trip to Costa Rica – it was delish and so easy to prepare. Went down nicely with a bottle of Farinelli – our favourite wine at the moment. Thanks for the recipe.
Hope you are all well. Did you get to Italy for Easter?
Love
Sue xxx
Hi I am pleased you enjoyed it! Yes Easter in Italy is always good and so much to eat as always!