Recipe: Old Spaghetti Factory Meatballs

OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY MEATBALLS

1/3 cup very finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon very finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 pounds lean ground chuck
30 ounces tomato sauce
hot cooked pasta or rice (for serving)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a jelly roll pan.

Combine chopped onion, garlic, parsley and bread crumbs in a food processor and mix 30 seconds.

Break the egg into a 3 quart bowl and mix well using a wire whisk. Add water, olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the egg and whisk until well whisked. Add the bread crumb mixture, combining with a spatula. Add the ground meat and mix thoroughly until ingredients are well distributed and the mixture is binding together tightly.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, scoop out a portion onto the prepared pan. Form each meatball by rolling in the palm of your hand until they feel tight and solid. (The finished meatballs should be about the size of a golf ball.) Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and loosen meatballs from the bottom with a spatula. Return to the oven an additional 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain pan.

Heat the tomato sauce in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and simmer 2 minutes.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Servings: 8
Adapted from source: rec.food.recipes/Elaine Ackerman