Genoese meatballs in white wine is a traditional recipe from Ligurian cuisine which mixes various ingredients to create something extremely tasty.
In the past, in fact, people ate very little meat (once a week) and using it together with dairy products, eggs and herbs was a way of obtaining more substantial, nutritious and very appetising main meals.
As regards quantities, our grandmothers cooked strictly “by eye”, adding a bit of this and a bit of that. Below you will find my quantities but consider them indicative rather than set in stone. In general, I prefer to put ricotta in the mix rather than bread soaked in milk but do as you like!
Meatballs cooked in white wine provide a good alternative to meatballs im tomato sauce. You can, as I did, prepare the mix and then make half and half because both are very good!
Three things must never be missing: marjoram, pine nuts (a little expensive but don’t worry about it!) and a sprinkling of good white wine, such as Vermentino or Pigato.
As a side dish, I recommend a good seasonal salad such as very finely cut green radicchio or a good potato mash like grandma used to make.
Let’s get to work straight away…
Ingredients
Mix for meatballs
To cook
Tools
Steps
Put the minced meat in a bowl.
Chop the garlic with the marjoram and pine nuts. Add the meat.
Add the eggs, grated cheese, ricotta, salt and pepper.
Mix well first with the fork and then with your hands.
Form round balls with wet hands. They are also fine a little irregular, they look more homely, like granny’s recipe. The mixture should produce about fifty meatballs. Flour them.
Pour the oil with the garlic and pine nuts into a pan, preferably a non-stick one.
Fry lightly. Add the meatballs and fry lightly and evenly for 5 minutes, turning over with the tongs so that they do not break.
Sprinkle with wine, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and serve the Genoese meatballs in white wine hot with their delicious sauce.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which meat do you recommend using?
I always prefer to use top quality beef but a mix of beef and pork like that used in ragù is also fine.
Varied doses for servings