Scott Woolley’s Baked Meatballs

23 Feb Scott Woolley’s Baked Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs are a favorite dish in almost every household. You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy them, either. Meatballs have long been a go-with spaghetti.

For as many people who love and make meatballs, there are as many ways to make them. Some people braise them in a sauce, others prefer them fried on the stovetop. Others like to steam them first before adding them to the pasta, and some people just like them baked.

They are also made in different ways by everyone who makes them. People like the spicy, others like them plain. Some add eggs, others bread crumbs. Beef, lamb, and pork can be used on their own or in combination with one or the other.

History of The Meatball

Before we get to Scott Woolley’s fantastic recipe for his baked meatballs in his latest cookbook, “Cooking For The Family”, let’s take a closer look at the meatball.

It is widely suggested that meatballs did not begin in Italian kitchens. It is believed that the origin of the meatball started with the Persians. It likely started as a way to extend a small bit of meat, used up some leftovers, or to mix a poorer quality with other ingredients.

Soon passed on to other areas like China and the Middle East where it is called Kofta, and began moving throughout other countries, as well. Each region and country made it their own way.

The Persians and their kofta would have been made from a choice of meats including beef, lamb, pork, or chicken, and likely mixed with rice, bulgar wheat, or lentils.

Chinese cooks would have used fish, turkey, and anything else that was available. They would have been added to soups, stews, and other types of sauces, or eaten with rice or other grains.

By the time meatballs made it to Italy, where we naturally associate them with originating, they were most often served as a main dish. Called polpettes, they were never served with pasta.

In fact, pasta is considered a first course, and adding meatballs to spaghetti or any pasta started in America. You can find it on the menu in American restaurants, but you won’t find it on authentic Italian restaurants, at home or abroad.

Italian polpettes are typically made from beef or veal, along with other  ingredients like garlic, eggs, parsley, and even cheese, like Parmigiana. When we think about meatballs, we associate them with meat but they can be made from other ingredients including fish or potatoes.

In Italy, these are called crocchettes instead of polpettes. Both polpettes and crochettes are traditionally fried or cooked in the oven. They are not cooked in tomato sauce like we see today.

Meatballs Today

Today, you can find meatballs all over the world. They are made from a variety of meat depending on what is available. The Chinese version is often made from pork or fish, while the Middle Eastern and North African meatball is made from lamb.

Swedish meatballs, which are also famous, are often smaller and served with a cream sauce. American meatballs are most often made from beef although some people prefer to make them from ground turkey.

When you get meatballs in Italy, they are usually fried and eaten as a snack or main course without sauce. People have made them their own, so anything you choose to add to them is just fine. Starting your own tradition is all about family cooking.

Baked Meatballs

How you cook your meatballs is also a personal taste. Some prefer them slow-cooked in their own homemade sauce, some prefer to fry them in a pan, while others prefer them baked.

In ‘Cooking For The Family’ Scott Woolley prefers to bake his. However you make yours, however, is the correct way. But when it comes to the method of cooking, there are a few factors to consider.

If you are watching your health, then baking the meatballs is a great way to go. Frying them not only requires you to add oil or other types of fat, but they need constant attention.

The meatballs can stick to the pan, regardless of how much fat you use, and then can fall apart when you are trying to turn them. The same can happen to them when you cook them in the sauce.

Baking requires less work and less fat. You can bake them slowly, turning them as you go and making sure they stay together. Frying your meatballs will add a bit of a crust, so if you want that, fry them for a few minutes, and then place them in the oven.

Italian food is a favorite in most homes, so check out “Cooking For The Family” by Scott Woolley for more of his Italian dishes, tips, and more at. www.scottwoolley.com