Today's Recipe: Lemon Flavored Meatballs

[shel]

LEMON FLAVORED MEATBALLS
Polpettine

These meatballs come from the island of Ischia, off the Amalfi coast, and use the lemons grown there. Meyer lemons might be nice to try. This recipe is from the restaurant Girasole.

1-lb lean veal
1 3/4 oz fresh bread crumbs from good white bread
1 3/4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz pine nuts
Grated peel from two medium lemons
1 Tbs fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 egg
Chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
salt
black pepper
oil for frying

In a food processor mix together all ingredients to make a fine paste. If the mixture is a little too dry, add a little more lemon juice.. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Flatten slightly with your thumb then fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.

These meatballs are usually served with a small amount of fresh tomato sauce. If using the sauce, it should only be about a spoonful for each polpettine. Sauce should be light and simple, such as the one below

Tomato Sauce

1 Tbs mild flavored EVOO
1 small onion, chopped
1 or two small cloves garlic, minced
1 14-oz can Italian plum tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves
Heat the oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until they are transparent. Add tomatoes and cook quickly in a shallow, uncovered pan so that the sauce thickens but remains a bright red. Season to taste then purée with the basil leaves

[Mezzaluna]

My mom used to make meatballs similar to these but with rice. She called them Lemon Porcupine Meatballs. Years later I wanted to make them, so I asked for the recipe. To my complete surprise (and a bit of horror, too) she told me she cooked them in Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup with 1/4 of the water and added lemon juice and peel. I was floored!!! Mom was usually a scratch cook.

I made them but in my own tomato sauce. Mmmmm.... good recipe, good leftover too.

[shel]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

My mom used to make meatballs similar to these but with rice. [...] I made them but in my own tomato sauce. Mmmmm.... good recipe, good leftover too.

I make my own sauce as well, however, I thought to post the suggested sauce recipe to give others an idea of the intent of the original recipe.