Aunt Nina's Breadballs and Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 2, 2011
Time
2½ hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Breadballs
1 cup water 1 large egg 3 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, torn into small pieces1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese 6 tablespoons olive oilSauce
1 onion, mincedSalt and pepper 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste 1 tablespoon sugar 3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons dried oregano ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cups water 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ½ cup grated Parmesan cheeseBefore You Begin
Let breadballs form a good crust during frying or they will fall apart when simmered. To keep them from sticking to the pan, make sure the oil is shimmering before you start cooking and don't move them for the first few minutes of browning.
Instructions
- ASSEMBLE BREADBALLS Combine water, egg, garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper in large bowl. Add bread and Parmesan and mix with hands until well combined. Using wet hands, form mixture into 1 1/2-inch breadballs (you should have about 30).
- BROWN BREADBALLS Heat 1/4 cup oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook half of breadballs without moving until well browned on bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook, turning gently, until well browned all over, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and breadballs.
- MAKE SAUCE Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from pot. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, sugar, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until tomato paste begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add water, tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- SIMMER AND SERVE Carefully add browned breadballs to pot and continue to simmer, covered, until sauce is slightly thickened and breadballs are tender, about 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkling with Parmesan (and additional parsley, if desired).
Time
2½ hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Breadballs
1 cup water
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, torn into small pieces
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
1 onion, minced
Salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
Breadballs
1 cup water
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, torn into small pieces
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
1 onion, minced
Salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
Breadballs
1 cup water
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread, torn into small pieces
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
1 onion, minced
Salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Why This Recipe Works
Italians have a long and delicious tradition of using bread creatively to stretch meals. Even when meat is readily available, this recipe for Aunt Nina’s Breadballs and Sauce makes a hearty meal for a large group. When forming the balls, we made sure to wet our hands periodically. This made it easier to form the balls and prevented them from sticking to our fingers. It was important to let the breadballs form a good crust during frying, or they fell apart when simmered. The point of the dish is that it is meatless; however, we found we could easily add meat to the sauce.
Before You Begin
Let breadballs form a good crust during frying or they will fall apart when simmered. To keep them from sticking to the pan, make sure the oil is shimmering before you start cooking and don't move them for the first few minutes of browning.
Instructions
- ASSEMBLE BREADBALLS Combine water, egg, garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper in large bowl. Add bread and Parmesan and mix with hands until well combined. Using wet hands, form mixture into 1 1/2-inch breadballs (you should have about 30).
- BROWN BREADBALLS Heat 1/4 cup oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook half of breadballs without moving until well browned on bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook, turning gently, until well browned all over, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and breadballs.
- MAKE SAUCE Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from pot. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, sugar, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until tomato paste begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add water, tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- SIMMER AND SERVE Carefully add browned breadballs to pot and continue to simmer, covered, until sauce is slightly thickened and breadballs are tender, about 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkling with Parmesan (and additional parsley, if desired).
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