{Parmesan & Pancetta Meatballs}

These delicious little meatballs are great for the whole family and are my go to meatball, ever since I made these I've never felt the need to try anything different, if I have strayed I have always returned here.  Why don't you give them a go at your place, I come over all italian mama when I have these bubbling away in the oven.  They are quite rich so I think its always nice to serve them with a green salad, the kids love garlic bread and the grown ups always, always deserve a nice glass of vino. 

...the balls

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

100g sliced pancetta, finely diced

500g minced veal or minced pork

(or veal + pork which is what I use most often)

40g grated parmesan

1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh or panko)

s+p

...the sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup chicken stock

2 cups tomato passata
s+p

Pop a tbsp of olive oil in a frypan and gently saute the two onions until soft and starting to colour, remove half to an ovenproof casserole dish with a lid and set it aside. To the onions left in the frypan add the pancetta turning up the heat and cook them both until they become golden, remove from the heat to cool.  

In a bowl combine the mince, parmesan, egg, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, s+p and lastly the cooled onions and pancetta, mix it all together with your hands and roll into golfball sized meatballs.

Preheat oven to 180. Brown the meatballs in another splash of  olive oil and while this is happening reheat the onions in the ovenproof casserole dish adding in the garlic and another tbsp of olive oil, cook that off for a couple of minutes then add in the stock and passata, season and bring to the boil then drop in the browned meatballs, cover with foil and the lid then transfer to the oven for an hour.

Serve on spagetti with a bit of extra parmesan.