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
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Ingredients
- For the Meatballs
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1 pound
ground veal
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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
-
Mix all of the ingredients together for the meatballs. Roll into 1 – 1 ½” meatballs.
-
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.
-
Add spinach to remaining oil in pan and cook until just barely wilted. Sprinkle with salt, to preserve color, and remove to another plate.
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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.
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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.
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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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