Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Italian Meatballs
- Prep time
- 10 minutes
- Cook time
- 30 minutes
- Yield
- Serves 5, or about 20 meatballs
- Difficulty

Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 slices Columbo sourdough
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Cut the crust from 3 of the slices of bread. Dampen the bread with just a bit of water and wring it out. Mix thoroughly with remaining ingredients.
Form mixture into 1-oz.-ball shapes, about 1½-inch diameter, and place on a deep sheet pan. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from pan with tongs and serve tossed with your favorite spaghetti and marinara.
Alternately, this recipe makes a delicious meatloaf! Place entire mixture in a 2-pound loaf pan and bake at 325ºF for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Pair with
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Sangiovese
Responsible for the three great wines of Tuscany: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese is Italy's most famous grape.
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Refosco
This grape varietal is primarily grown in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. Refosco is often referred to as Mondeuse Noire and makes delicious everyday table wines.
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Nebbiolo
A weekday red from the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo is massively structured and extremely tannic in its youth. Lighter Nebbiolo (like Nebbiolo d'Alba and Roero) should be imbibed young. However, be patient - when deeper in color, Nebbiolo should be given time - it becomes a delicious combination of suppleness and power. Give this varietal a try; it is responsible for the exalted wines Barolo and Barbaresco. Nebbiolo's aroma is fruity, earthy, herbal and floral. Look for hints of strawberry, cherry, truffles, mint, eucalyptus, anise and rose.
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Montepulciano
Don't be confused by its name. This is not the grape of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese. The grape Montepulciano is widespread throughout central and southern Italy and is especially known in Abbruzzi.
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Barbera
Barbera is Piedmont's juiciest and honestly most delicious red wine. It is lower in tannins and higher in acid than other more dry red wines.