Italian Meatballs

There are no eggs and only a small amount of bread crumbs in these meatballs so they’ll stand up to the long cooking time without falling apart. You can serve these meatballs and the sauce over cooked rice or pasta, or in meatball sandwiches.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin or light olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Pinch dried red pepper flakes
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ pound ground veal
• ½ pound lean ground pork
• ⅓ cup fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 6 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced

1. Add the oil and onion to the slow cooker; stir to coat the onions in the oil. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Stir in 2 cloves of the minced garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, salt, pepper, sugar, and dried red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on high while you make the meatballs.
2. Add the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic, beef, veal, pork, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, to a bowl; use your hands to mix. Shape into sixteen equal-sized meatballs. Add the meatballs to the slow cooker. Reduce the temperature of the slow cooker to low; cover and cook for 7 hours or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 160°F.

Dealing with the Fat

Some fat will be rendered from the Italian meatballs during the slow-cooking process. It will rise to the surface, so skim it from the sauce and discard. Carefully ladle the meatballs from the slow cooker before you whisk the sauce to evenly distribute the onions and other ingredients, or use an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother sauce.