Italian Meatballs - A Tucci family recipe

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 meatballs. Nothing goes to waste. Meatballs should be tender, not hard.

My passion for cooking comes from my mother and extended family. My grandparents, Stanley and Theresa Tucci, were both wonderful gourmands. My mother, Rosalinda Tucci Rachiele, is an accomplished gourmet cook. 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. 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.

Cooking is my passion on weekends. And when you spend your professional life designing the most functional kitchen workspace possible, you tend to notice exactly where a kitchen slows you down - and where it sets you free.

My 14th birthday at our grandparents' house, 1967. That's me in the orange shirt with my arm around my cousin Stanley Tucci. The same kitchen where we all learned to cook. From the Rachiele family collection.

The Sunday I Cooked on My Sink

A while back, my daughter-in-law and I made a full Italian Sunday meal together. Four large pots of ragu. A massive batch of meatballs. The kind of cooking that in most kitchens turns into an hours-long cleanup.

We did it differently.

We prepped, rinsed, drained, and organized everything from a single workspace - my 60" dual-tier Paragon™, dual-drain single bowl Harmony™ workstation sink. We even cooked the meatballs directly on the sink, using a second multi-purpose grid as the base for an electric frying pan.

When it was over, the accessories went straight into the dishwasher. The sink got a quick rinse. The countertops? We never touched them - there was nothing to wipe down.

Total cleanup time for that entire meal: under 10 minutes.

I have been designing kitchens professionally for over two decades. I have never found anything that changes the experience of cooking - and the dread of cleaning - more than getting the sink right.

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 and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil.

Instructions:

1. Dry bread slices uncovered for 3 days.

2. Soak dried bread in warm water for 5 minutes, then squeeze dry and remove crusts.

3. In a large bowl, mix beef, parsley, basil, garlic, egg, cheese, salt, and pepper.

4. Add the squeezed bread, mixing until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.

5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Roll mixture into 1½" balls.

7. Cook in batches, turning to brown evenly, about 8 minutes.

8. Taste a test meatball and adjust seasoning if needed.

9. Serve hot over pasta, with crusty bread and plenty of extra sauce.

How I Actually Cook This Recipe (And Why the Kitchen Setup Matters)

When I make ragu and meatballs, I do not fool around. As you can see in the photos below, I had 4 large pots of ragu going and a massive batch of meatballs at the same time. I make huge batches and freeze them for use in the future. My mouth is literally salivating while writing this.

Here is what most people do not realize: the cooking is the fun part. The mess and the cleanup are what usually ruin the experience. That is exactly why I introduced and have constantly improved the workstation sink back in 2010. Every Rachiele sink is designed to keep your prep, cooking, and cleanup in one efficient space so your countertops stay clean and your kitchen stays organized, even during a big cooking day like this one.

My daughter-in-law and I prepared this entire meal together on our 60" dual-tier Paragon, dual-drain, single-bowl workstation sink. If you look closely at the photos, we even cooked the meatballs right on the sink, using the second multi-purpose grid as a base for the electric frying pan.

The best part? When we were finished, we simply rinsed and placed all of the accessories in the dishwasher, cleaned the electric frying pan, and wiped down the sink. We did not even have to clean the countertops. The cleanup of this huge meal took less than 10 minutes. In the past, cleanup after a meal like this was a dreaded chore

Four pots of Tucci family ragu simmering on the stovetop - Sunday cooking at the Rachiele household.

Preparing meatballs on a Rachiele® Paragon™ Harmony™ workstation sink. The process should always be this enjoyable.

Cooking meatballs directly on a 60-inch Rachiele® Paragon™, Harmony dual-tier, dual drain single bowl workstation sink using a multi-purpose grid as a support for the electric fryer.

For those of you who are visual, this is the recipe for the Tucci Family Meatballs

Most people do not realize how much their sink is slowing them down until they experience something different. A workstation sink designed around how you actually cook - not how a showroom thinks you cook - changes the entire rhythm of a meal. If you love to cook the way my family does, I would enjoy talking with you about what that could look like in your kitchen.

Ready to Cook Like This in Your Own Kitchen?

If you have ever wished for more space and less mess while cooking, I would love to show you what is possible.

Call me directly: 407-880-6903 (I answer 7 days a week)

Schedule a Private Zoom Consultation I will walk you through the design process and help you figure out the perfect sink for your kitchen.

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