Italian Meatballs - Tucci family recipe

Dino Rachiele
Aug 23, 2025
3 min read

If you are looking for a recipe for real Italian meatballs, this one just might be what you are looking for. In Italy, stale bread is often used in the making of meatballs. Nothing goes to waste. Meatballs should be tender, not hard. As you can see below, I don't fool around when I cook! I have 4 large pots of Ragu going as well as a large amount of meatballs. My passion for cooking comes from my mother and extended family. It seems like my generation has followed in the footsteps of our previous generations. My grandparents, Stanley and Theresa Tucci, were both wonderful gourmands. My mother, Rosalinda Tucci Rachiele, is an accomplished gourmet cook. It seems like the Tucci grandchildren are all accomplished cooks. My cousin, Pierre Ratte, is a wonderful cook. My sister, Lisa, makes the best eggplant parmesan any of us have ever tasted. My cousin Eric Tucci has owned restaurants and is considered a gourmet chef. My other cousin, Stanley Tucci, as many of you know, loves to cook. Cooking is my pastime on weekends. Having an efficient prep area as well as a clean-up area turns a chore into a pleasure. For some reason, there seem to be quite a few searches online for "Stanley Tucci Meatballs." Stanley and I share the same grandparents, and this recipe is one that our entire family shares.

Italian Meatballs—A Family Recipe Made Easier with a Workstation Sink

In my Italian family, meatballs have always been more than just dinner—they're part of our kitchen stories.

I can still remember rolling them with my mother, sauce simmering on the stove, while we worked side-by-side in a small but bustling space.

Today, I still make them the same way—but in a kitchen designed for efficiency and flow.

My custom workstation sink is the heart of the process, giving me a single spot for chopping, rinsing, draining, and cleaning. It turns cooking into something enjoyable instead of messy and cramped.

Tucci Polpette—Italian Meatballs (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

10 slices good-quality stale Italian bread (1" thick, unseeded) 1 lb ground beef chuck, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 5 large basil leaves (finely chopped), 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped), 1 large egg, 5 tbsp grated pecorino Romano cheese, Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Dry bread slices uncovered for 3 days. Soak in warm water for 5 min, then squeeze dry and remove crusts. Mix beef, parsley, basil, garlic, egg, cheese, salt & pepper. Add bread, mixing until combined. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Roll mixture into 1½" balls. Cook in batches, turning to brown evenly, about 8 min. Taste a test meatball; adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot. Serve - Over pasta, with crusty bread, and plenty of extra sauce.

Why the Right Sink Changes the Cooking Experience

Cooking this recipe in my custom sink workstation is nothing like using a standard sink.
I can prep ingredients without juggling counter space.
Rinsing and draining happen right where I'm working.
Cleanup is faster, which means I can enjoy the meal without dreading the mess.
Whether it's Italian meatballs, fresh pasta, or a Sunday roast, the right kitchen workflow makes all the difference.

Make Your Kitchen Work Like Mine

If you've ever wished for more space and less mess while cooking, a custom workstation sink could transform your kitchen.

See how I design mine for home chefs who love cooking just as much as eating here.

When I make ragu and meatballs, I do not fool around. I make huge batches and freeze them for use in the future. My mouth is literally salivating while writing this blog!

Preparing and even cooking meatballs (below) right on our 60" dual-tier Paragon™, dual-drain, single-bowl workstation sink. Exclusively at Rachiele Custom Sinks. All of our sinks are handmade in Florida and are totally custom designed with each family via a Zoom meeting with me, Dino Rachiele.

My daughter-in-law both love to cook. She and I prepared this delicious meal together. If you look closely, we even cooked the meatballs on the sink using the second multi-purpose grid as a base for the electric frying pan. The best part of the end of this experience was that we were able to simply rinse and place all of the accessories in the dishwasher, clean the electric frying pan, and clean the sink, and we were finished! We didn't even have to wipe down the countertops when we were finished. In the past, cleanup was a dreaded chore. The cleanup of this huge meal took less than 10 minutes!