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Mama’s boy meatball cuzzetiello

Mama’s boy meatball cuzzetiello

Crispy deep-fried meatballs tumble in rich San Marzano tomato sauce inside hollowed Italian baguettes. Melted pecorino and sausage juices soak into crusty bread. Basil-flecked sauce drips down your chin in true street food style. (42 words)

Prep: less than 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: Serves 4
Dietary: Nut-free, pregnancy-friendly

James Elliot of Pizza PilgrimsBy James Elliot
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes


Nutri-Score CMama’s boy meatball cuzzetiello scores C on Nutri-Score with beef protein balanced by tomato sauce.
Per serving: approximately 720 kcal, 38g fat (14g saturates), 58g carbs (12g sugars), 6g fibre, 36g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 2 x 400g tins San Marzano peeled whole tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • handful fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the meatballs

  • 250g/9oz beef mince
  • 250g/9oz Italian sausage meat, crumbled
  • 150g/3½oz pecorino, grated
  • 1 medium free-range egg
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 200g bread slices, crusts removed, soaked in milk
  • Vegetable oil, for deep frying
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

  • 2 Italian baguettes (or banh mi baguettes), split

Customise

  • Swap beef mince for pork mince or turkey for lighter version.
  • Use mozzarella instead of pecorino for milder cheese flavour.
  • Replace Italian sausage with chorizo for smoky spice.
  • Sub baguettes with sourdough rolls when unavailable.

Method

Simmer tomato sauce (1 hour, do first)

  1. Combine sauce ingredients in large saucepan with one full tomato tin of water – San Marzano tomatoes make all the difference here.
  2. Season generously with salt and pepper, then simmer gently for 1 hour until smooth and oil separates – low heat builds deep flavour.

Prep meatballs (10 minutes, overlap with sauce)

  1. Preheat deep-fat fryer to 180°C – hot oil gives perfect golden crusts (hot oil dangerous, stay attentive).
  2. Mix beef mince, sausage meat, pecorino, egg, garlic, soaked bread in large bowl – hands work best to combine evenly.
  3. Season well, then roll into golf ball-sized meatballs – uniform size ensures even cooking.
  4. Deep fry meatballs 5 minutes until deep golden brown – drain immediately on kitchen paper to stay crisp.

Combine and finish (15 minutes)

  1. Add fried meatballs to tomato sauce – nestle them in gently so they stay whole.
  2. Simmer 15 minutes – sauce thickens while flavours meld perfectly; gentle bubbling prevents breaking meatballs.

Assemble cuzzetiello (5 minutes, do last)

  1. Slice baguettes lengthwise and hollow out soft centres – keep that bread boat sturdy for sauce.
  2. Fill generously with meatballs and plenty of sauce – let it drip, that’s the street food joy.
  3. Wrap in paper and serve immediately – eat with hands, embrace the mess, have napkins ready.
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