Ingredients
Meatballs:
2 slice white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
3 lbs. of meatball mix (ground beef, veal, and pork)
2 eggs
1.5 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Hearty Meatball Stew:
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cloves of garlic
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 med. Shallot diced
1 med. red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch
strips
1 med. Orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch
strips
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 med. russet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
into 1/3-inch slices
4 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
2- 15ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 -15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup of red wine
Directions
For the meatballs: Place the bread and 4 tablespoons water
into a medium bowl. Mash to a paste with a spatula. Add the meatball mixture,
egg, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend the mixture thoroughly with your hands or
a flexible spatula. Form the mixture into 10 to 16 meatballs. Arrange the
meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until ready to use.
Sprinkle the meatballs with the flour and turn to coat with
any flour still on the parchment paper. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet
over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Drop the
meatballs into the skillet, spaced apart. Cook until the bottoms are set and
brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn each meatball onto an uncooked side
and cook until the bottoms are set and brown, about 2 minutes longer. Turn and
cook a third side, until set and brown, about another 2 minutes, so the
meatballs are browned and set all over. Transfer the meatballs to a large
plate.
Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and
1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until soft, 4 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze
the pot. Add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring the
mixture to a boil. Add the meatballs back to the pot and reduce the heat to a
simmer, cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs
are cooked through, about 20 minutes. The last 10 minutes or so add the beans.
Serve in a bowl with fresh hot crusty garlic bread and
grated parmesan cheese.
