Meatballs al forno are the A-listers of the meatball set. They’re on the menu at Nancy Silverton’s Mozza restaurant in Los Angeles and they’ve got the reputation for being the best meatballs in the world. Take a bite, I think you’ll agree.
VINTAGE VIEW ~ these amazing meatballs al forno are from TVFGI archives. As part of a new series on the blog I’m reviving some of the best recipes that you may have missed over the years ~ I’ve updated the recipe and notes, and shot new photos. First published in 2011 (the very first year I started blogging,) this recipe has been a family staple ever since, I think you’re going to love it!
This amazing meatball recipe comes from Nancy Silverton, Cordon Bleu educated chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, and co-founder of the Los Angeles based La Brea Bakery.
I’ve lived here in Los Angeles for 25 years and I can tell you that when Nancy Silverton opened the La Brea Bakery with her husband in 1989 she brought artisan quality breads to a city bereft of a ‘bread culture’. I’m talking pre-fab white bread on the tables of fine restaurants, and bakeries filled with doughnuts, cupcakes, cookies…everything but real honest bread. For all of our years in LA we relied on the La Brea breads for everything from baguettes to croissants. It’s no surprise to me that the brand soon went nationwide.
In later years Silverton went on to open several restaurants, including the hip Melrose Avenue Osteria Mozza and Pizzaria Mozza with partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, and author many cookbooks.
Today I’m making the fabulous Meatballs al forno, a signature dish at Osteria Mozza. The recipe also appears in her 8th cookbook, THE MOZZA COOKBOOK.. At the restaurant the meatballs are served Italian style, in a little bowl with sauce, not piled on top of a mountain of spaghetti like Americans eat them. I’ve come to love them this way best, and they make a wonderful lower carb light meal.
The original recipe calls for veal, which I don’t eat, so I substituted good quality Angus ground beef. The pancetta adds a nice flavor so I don’t recommend omitting it, although the very first time I made these I sent my husband out for the meat, and the butcher misunderstood and gave him prosciutto instead of pancetta. That worked too! I think the combination of different meats, the milk soaked bread, and all that good Parm is key to why these meatballs are so good.
This is a dish that takes some time. There is a fair amount of prep and I recommend you do it ahead, and maybe even go so far as to use those little prep dishes for your ingredients since for much of this process you will be up to your elbows in raw meat. In other words, don’t plan on chatting on the phone while you put together these babies.
TIP: When mixing the meat, Silverton advises you to “use the tips of your fingers as if you were playing the piano” to avoid tough meatballs. I find that using my KitchenAid stand mixer makes the best tool for mixing meatballs and meatloaves. It combines everything more thoroughly than I can do with my hands, but still gently so that the results are super tender.
I had high hopes for these meatballs because of their reputation, and I wasn’t disappointed. They are light and almost airy…with subtle flavor. I really liked them with the simple clean tomato sauce. I ‘m making meatball sandwiches on good crusty Italian bread with the leftovers tomorrow.
Do you love meatballs as much as I do? Here are some of my other favorites ~
- MOROCCAN LEMON AND CARDAMOM MEATBALLS
- HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BOURBON MEATBALLS EVER
- SWEDISH COCKTAIL MEATBALLS
- GREEK MEATBALLS IN LEMON SAUCE
- CHEESY SKILLET MEATBALLS WITH GARLIC TOAST
Below is the slightly adjusted recipe for Meatballs al forno, with my slightly simplified instructions. If you’d like more of Nancy’s recipes, check out her book, The Mozza Cookbook, or any of her other cookbooks.
Reader Rave ~
“One of these days, Sue, I expect to see you show up as a DNA match on my heritage page…just about every dish you post, grabs my food core! I made the meatballs tonight….they were incredible! My husband said they were the best he’s ever had! Thanks for another great recipe!” ~ Candace
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup diced day- old, crustless bread
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano (about 6 ounces), plus a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating
- 1/2 large yellow Spanish onion, minced (about 1 cup)
- 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 extra- large eggs
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons pure ground red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground veal (I used ground Black Angus beef)
- 6 1/2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped or minced in a miniature food processor
- All-purpose flour, for dredging (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 jar (25-28 ounces) of your favorite tomato sauce
- 3 dried bay leaves
- more Parmesan
- fresh thyme leaves or more chopped parsley
Instructions
- set oven to 350F
- Put the day- old bread in a small bowl, pour in the milk, and set aside to soak the bread for about 5 minutes.
- Combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano, onion, parsley, eggs, garlic, ground red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Add the pork, veal (or beef), and pancetta.
- Squeeze the bread in your fist to press out the milk, discarding the excess milk. Add the bread to the bowl with the other ingredients and use the tips of your fingers as if you were playing the piano to combine the ingredients without overworking them, which makes for heavy meatballs. (I mix everything up in my KitchenAid mixer.)
- Divide the meat into 2-ounce (give or take) portions and roll each portion into a ball. I use a 1/4 cup to scoop the meat mixture.
- Pour the flour into a large bowl for dredging. Dredge the meatballs in the flour, shake off any excess, and place them on a baking sheet. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the meatballs for at least an hour or overnight. (Refrigerating allows the fat in the meats to solidify so the meatballs maintain their shape when cooked.)
- Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven or ovenproof skillet and add more if needed to cover the bottom of the pan to 1?4 inch deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Working in two batches, place the meatballs in a single layer in the pan and sear them until they are lightly browned all over, being gentle when turning them so they don't fall apart. Remove the meatballs to a plate.
- Add more oil to the pan and heat it until it's almost smoking before cooking the second batch in the same way. Turn off the heat and wipe the oil and browned bits from the pan. Return the meatballs to the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs.
- The amount of sauce you need will vary depending on the size of the vessel you are pouring it into, so add more or less as needed; you want them to be submerged but not drowning in the liquid. Add the bay leaves and and place the meatballs in the oven to braise for 1 hour. Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to rest in the sauce for at least 10 minutes.
- To serve, remove the meatballs to a plate and skim off and discard the fat from the sauce. Spoon a thin layer of sauce on a serving platter or individual plates, lay the meatballs on top of the sauce, serving 3 meatballs if you are using individual plates. Grate a thin dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the meatballs. Garnish with fresh thyme or more parsley.
Make it your own ~
- The original recipe includes a quart of chicken stock mixed with the tomato sauce, and then poured over the meatballs. I almost always omit the stock, fyi, because I like a thicker sauce.
- Even though it’s not strictly authentic, go ahead and serve these meatballs with spaghetti or over polenta if you’re craving more carbs.
- I love to slice the leftover meatballs in half, load up a split French roll with the meat and extra sauce, and then top with slices of mozzarella ~ a little time under the broiler and you’ve got the best leftovers you’ve ever had!
Don’t forget to pin these famous Meatballs al forno!

49 Comments
Karly
November 24, 2017 at 10:56 amNow THESE are meatballs! 100% saving this recipe to come back to every time my Italian cravings hit.
Candace
November 19, 2017 at 6:06 pmOne of these days, Sue, I expect to see you show up as a DNA match on my heritage page…just about every dish you post, grabs my food core! I made the meatballs tonight….they were incredible! My husband said they were the best he’s ever had! Thanks for another great recipe!
Sue
November 19, 2017 at 8:01 pmYou made me laugh Candace, how fun to be foodie sisters!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
November 15, 2017 at 7:13 amI can never, every resist a great meatball and tomato sauce, so I will be making these :) Beautiful!
Luci
November 14, 2017 at 12:06 pmOh I love this recipe. I love meatballs but never made them myself. I will have to use this recipe to make my own.
Chris Scheuer
November 14, 2017 at 5:22 amI never ever grow tired of Italian food and meatballs are on the top of my favorites list. Nancy Silverton’s recipes are always winners and we are also big fans of La Brea products! Can’t wait to try these!
Vicki Bensinger
November 13, 2017 at 12:27 pmSue these totally sound amazing! I love meatballs and will definitely be trying these and probably a few of the others posted.
Also I just sent you and email – it appears when I click on the link from MailerLite to view your post it comes up as a Mallicious site. This is the third time it’s happened but it’s fine when I type and go directly to your site. Thought you’d want to know.
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 2:00 pmThanks Vicki, I’ve got Mailerlite fixing that, it’s some sort of glitch, the site is fine, thanks for letting me know!
Roxana
November 13, 2017 at 12:26 pmThat looks like a recipe that will give great meatballs. I would have to try with lamb and veal combo.
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 2:01 pmLet us know if you make it with the veal Roxana!
Ginny
November 13, 2017 at 12:12 pmThose really do look like the best meatballs I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing how large they are and still look light.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
November 13, 2017 at 11:53 amGreat tips for cooking meatballs and such lovely photos :)
alexandra
November 13, 2017 at 9:36 amThere is something with meatballs – is a treat! Your recipe is great Sue! If you allow me to make a slight addition…In remembrance to my grandmother -Ifigenie, the ultimate cook-: I add 1/4 cup ouzo in the mixture, pass the onion from the cheese grader which releases all juices, and mould the meat in-between my palms very gently -as if rolling eggs-!
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 9:40 amLOVE this Alexandra, I would never have thought of ouzo, what a wonderful flavor to add in. I wonder if it would make the mixture too wet? Might soak the bread in it rather than milk.
alexandra
November 13, 2017 at 10:28 amSO nice of you! Sue, the mixture will still be OK, and keep the milk in, you need it. Have you ever tried condensed milk?
Regina
November 13, 2017 at 9:32 amThese meatballs look absolutely amazing!! And your gorgeous pictures are not helping with the drooling
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 9:35 amProtect your laptop or phone, Regina, I learned the hard way ;)
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
November 13, 2017 at 6:29 amGoodness – it’s amazing how every time I visit your blog, I leave craving another amazing dish. My mother used to make pretty great meatballs that sound similar to these. There is nothing better than a tender well spiced meatball and piled on a roll with cheese is heaven on earth! Thank you for reviving this wonderful post and recipe!
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 7:13 amThanks Tricia, I enjoy reviving these old posts, I really had some great recipes when i first started up the blog, and it’s fun to bring them back to life. And meatballs on a roll with mozzarella is truly heaven on earth ~ amen!
Monique
November 13, 2017 at 5:59 amLove the pics!
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 7:23 am<3 Monique
Angie@Angie's Recipes
November 13, 2017 at 4:04 amThey look so juicy! my husband loves meatball, but not cheese…hopefully they would still taste as good as these without cheese..
Sue
November 13, 2017 at 7:11 amI thought as I ate these meatballs the other day that the large amount of Parm really does amp up the flavor, you could easily split the batch and make some for him without cheese and some with, for you :)
J
January 15, 2015 at 6:13 amI was directed to your site by thekitchn.com, the primary cooking blog I follow. I never leave comments anywhere, but thought I would here in case someone was dubious of these meatballs.
I made these yesterday with a wonderful sauce and homemade chicken stock, cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us (leftovers are in the freezer for this weekend!). These were absolutely amazing, though slightly overcooked due to my negligence. I have tried for years to make good meatballs and always fail: they fall apart, they taste bland–the usual suspects. Now I understand the technique and also learned that stock really deepens the flavor of tomato sauce, and I will be adding this ingredient from now on.
Thank you so much for your blog, which I will now patronize daily and look forward to reading your new posts.
God bless.
Sue
January 15, 2015 at 7:28 amthanks so much Jennifer— I really appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment. It’s been a while since I’ve made these wonderful meatballs, but I remember them well…welcome to TVFGI!