Beef

Veal Marsala Meatballs

by:
April 22, 2021
4.4
8 Ratings
Veal Marsala Meatballs
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I love marsala. I want to bring marsala home to meet my parents, but only to special occasions like Thanksgiving and Easter. Not to the everyday dinners and foibles of a family.
When I was grocery shopping, I found ground veal on sale. It was such a good price that I couldn’t pass it up. But I was at a loss for what to make with it. That’s when I thought – Meatballs! This recipe makes a great weeknight meal that feels a little fancy. It’s the makeover movie for unlocking ground veal’s hidden beauty – with marsala! - KaffeAndKuchen —KaffeeAndKuchen

Test Kitchen Notes

KaffeAndKuchen's meatballs are a neat twist on veal marsala. The juicy, tender meatballs are served in a creamy, mildly sweet sauce. A touch of rosemary ties everything together. Her recipe's method nicely incorporates a great side of sauteed spinach. – Stephanie —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Meatballs
  • 1 pound ground veal
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the Sauce
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2/3 cup dry marsala wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 10 ounces bag of spinach, washed and roughly chopped
Directions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients together for the meatballs. Roll into 1 – 1 ½” meatballs.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Place meatballs in pan, but don’t crowd the pan, sauté in two batches if needed. Brown on all sides. Then remove to a plate.
  3. Add spinach to remaining oil in pan and cook until just barely wilted. Sprinkle with salt, to preserve color, and remove to another plate.
  4. While keeping pan on heat, add more oil if needed and onions and garlic. If there is some spinach water left in the pan, that’s fine. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the meatballs back to the pan. Add in marsala, chicken stock, and rosemary, reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.
  5. After 20 minutes, remove lid and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving add in cream to help thicken the sauce.
  6. Serve as is, or spoon over your favorite pasta. To serve over pasta, place pasta on a plate or bowl, add spinach on top of pasta, then spoon meatballs and sauce over everything.
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10 Reviews

whitbouck
whitbouck July 30, 2021
Delicious. Don't be afraid of the amount of rosemary...it seems like a lot, but actually works very well in the dish and isn't overpowering in the end. Next time, I'll make double the sauce and thicken it with a bit of cornstarch mixed with water. I'd also double the amount of onion in the sauce.
 
whitbouck
whitbouck July 30, 2021
I also used double the recommended garlic in both the meatballs and the sauce.
 
WShort
WShort January 23, 2021
I modified the receipt, instead of spinach I used a bunch of parsley tops roughly chopped and 8 oz of fresh mushrooms instead. I have a picture.
 
Markmywords
Markmywords September 3, 2017
I like the recipe from the restaurant in New York City named John's at 12th. They have a great recipe for veal meatballs. Anything else just doesn't cut it.
 
Elaine W.
Elaine W. August 24, 2020
We are looking for this recipe too! That's what brought us to this page. Can't seem to find John's anywhere?
 
Connie C.
Connie C. June 1, 2017
Tried this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I followed the recipe as given. It didn't state whether to use fresh or dried breadcrumbs, so I used fresh. I did let it cook a few extra minutes after I added the cream to let it thicken a bit. I was a little concerned that the sauce seemed a little thin, but poured over the top it was perfect because it seeps down through the spinach to the pasta. The finished platter was beautiful. I will definitely be making this for company. The fresh rosemary is key to this dish.
 
asiegel
asiegel January 21, 2011
Nice, and fairly simple. Needs lots more garlic, though, and tons of black pepper.
 
lastnightsdinner
lastnightsdinner August 9, 2010
What a fun spin on Veal Marsala - these sound great!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen August 9, 2010
Very nice combination of flavors and ingredients.
 
lapadia
lapadia August 9, 2010
Mmmm, tasty, thanks for sharing your recipe!