Nonni’s Meatballs

 This is my mom.  Growing up the kids in the neighborhood called her Fancy Nancy.  Now she is affectionately known as Nonni to my two boys.  She didn’t want to be call ‘grandma’, she was too young and hip for that.

It is important to start this story back years ago to when I was a little girl growing up.  My favorite dinner was always spaghetti, meatballs and chicken cutlets.  We had this meal weekly.  Nonni would start cooking early and the whole house would fill with the aroma of basil, oregano, tomatoes, garlic and fennel as her sauce bubbled on the stove (the lid carefully tipped to one side to let the steam out).  I was a very picky eater but I’d eat piles of her gorgeous golden brown chicken cutlets.  While she was pan-frying the cutlets on the stove, I’d beg to eat them; I probably ate two or three while she was cooking!  I’d pick them up with my hands and eat them like a sandwich.

Fast forward 30-something years and Nonni’s specialty is still Italian.  John’s favorite dish is Nonni’s spaghetti and meatballs.  Ask him and nothing compares to Nonni’s meatballs.  Every time we go over to Nonni’s he wants her meatballs and every time she visits John expects his supply of her delicious meal.  If you ask him why he likes them so much, he will say, “I just love them.  They are de-li-cious!”  When enjoying his favorite meal, John sits with the steaming plate of spaghetti infront of him piled high with meatballs and grated cheese.  He has been known to eat 5 or 6 of her famous meatballs in one sitting!

To this day I am comforted by Nonni’s meatballs and cutlets and I can never seem to make them as well! Nonni has that magic touch.  I also think the secret is adding fennel seeds to the bread crumbs.  John loves making meatballs with Nonni.  He loves getting the meat mixture in his hands, rolling it into balls and flinging them onto the baking sheet.  If you’d like to make them with your children I’d highly recommend it.  Nonni is very free when she cooks and she usually just tosses things in without measuring.  She tried to estimate the measurements.  She said you can always add more seasoning.  “It is good to go heavy.”  Her very famous recipe is below.  Mangia!

Grease pan with light olive oil.  Preheat the oven to 375 F.  In a large bowl, combined all ingredients.  Mix thoroughly (Nonni uses her hands).  Roll the meat mixture into balls the size of golf balls.  Bake for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, turn meatballs over and cook for the remaining 15 minutes.  Makes approximately 12 meatballs.

• 1lb thinly slice chicken (scallopini)
• 2 eggs
• Progresso Italian breadcrumbs
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• fennel seeds
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• parsley
• grated cheese
• Your favorite tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese (to make the cutlets parmesan style)

Nonni’s cutlets with spaghetti topped with heirloom tomatoes, purple basil (from Sweet Georgia P’s) and Pesto