Polpettine di Tacchino
Turkey Meatballs
Recipe Courtesy of Molto Italiano (Ecco 2005)

The fortune and success found by immigrant Italians in America had a great effect on their cooking. The reason a meatball tastes so good and is so tender in Italy is the reliance on day-old bread, soaked in milk or water, to bring lightness to a firm mixture of pure protein. Newly wealthy Italian Americans saw such frugality as a sign of weakness and started to make their meatballs without the bread, losing a whole world of texture.

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground boneless pork shoulder (or use all turkey)
2 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 red onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
1 sprig rosemary
2 cups basic tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian Parsley

Makes 4 servings

Preheat the oven to 475° F.

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl combine the turkey, pork, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and mix lightly with your hands until just combined. Form into golf ball-sized meatballs and place in a shallow casserole.

Roast the meatballs until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a large ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, then add the wine and rosemary, bring to a boil, and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, place the pan in the oven, and cook for 1 hour.

Season the meatballs with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in shallow bowls with the sauce, topped with the parsley.