It’s a simple way to bring a touch of adventure to your dinner table. More importantly, these meatballs will absolutely melt in your mouth. They are comforting, but a little bold, and perfect for anyone who loves trying new ingredients. In other words, it’s comfort food with a ingredient-curious streak. My kind of recipe.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Nduja – this is not so easy to find in the US, but it is available on Amazon.
- Breadcrumbs
- Broth – or milk or water
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – you can also use Pecorino Romano.
- Egg
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Paprika powder
- Nutmeg
How to Make Italian Meatballs with Nduja
Click here for a short video on How to make Italian Meatballs with Nduja.
Step 1 – In a bowl, combine all ingredients, plus salt & pepper. Mix with a fork or your hands until the mixture is homogeneous. Try not to overmix.
Step 2 – With an ice cream or cookie scoop or your hands form equally sized meatballs. Any size is a good size, but keep in mind that the bigger the meatball, the longer it takes to cook the through.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
I used a scoop with a diameter of 2″.
Step 3 – Slide the baking sheet in an oven of 400 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.
You can see that the nduja juices are flowing.
Step 4 – Transfer the meatballs and as much as the juices from the baking sheet to a sauce and keep warm until you serve. I made a simple tomato sauce, but you could make a gravy sauce, or mushroom, a garlic sauce or a creamy lemony sauce.
- Now it’s time to serve the meatballs in the sauce. Maybe the most obvious way to serve Italian meatballs is on a plate of pasta, like this. I decided to serve it with a creamy cheesy polenta.
- Sprinkle with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and ENJOY !
Italian Meatballs with Nduja
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 5 ounces ground pork
- 4 ounces Nduja
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons broth, or milk or water
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients, plus salt & pepper. Mix with a fork or your hands until the mixture is homogeneous. Try not to overmix.
- With an ice cream/cookie scoop or your hands form equally sized meatballs. Any size is a good size, but keep in mind that the bigger the meatball, the longer it takes to cook the through. (NOTE 1)
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Slide the baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs and as much as the juices from the baking sheet to a sauce and keep warm until you serve. I made a tomato sauce. (NOTE 2)
- Serve the meatballs on a plate of polenta or pasta. Sprinkle with some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Notes
- I used a scoop with a diameter of 2″.
- Instead of a tomato sauce, you can make a gravy sauce, or mushroom, a garlic sauce or a creamy lemony sauce or any sauce you like with a spicy meatball.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.