LAVO Meatball

With cheese and spices and a ricotta cheese topping, the LAVO One Pound Meatball is a showstopper coming in at a literal one pound of deliciousness.

 

Ingredients

You will easily find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store.

• Fresh Italian bread – You want this bread to have no crust, and you’ll want to cut it into 1-inch cubes.
• Whole milk – I would strongly discourage you from using skim or 1%. Whole milk would be best for the fat content and smooth consistency. 
• Extra virgin olive oil – We use this to sauté the garlic and onion, however you can use any neutral oil.
• Yellow onion and garlic – Is any meatball complete without them? I grate or pulse mine in a food processor to get more of a paste than a chop. Of course, you can finely mince as well, just don’t leave large chunks.
• Salt and pepper – I used a simple blend of coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Eggs – Always assume a recipe is calling for large eggs. These are a binder to make it all stick together!
• Dry seasoned breadcrumbs – If you don’t have seasoned breadcrumbs, you can make your own by adding some Italian seasoning to plain ones.
• Herbs – I love adding fresh herbs to my meatballs. Fresh flat parsley and fresh basil and the best flavor, plus you can use some for garnish.
• Ground meatloaf mix – This is made up of veal, pork, and beef. If you can not find this exact mix, use all beef in an 80/20 mix or 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground pork. 
• Marinara sauce – I prefer to use my homemade marinara sauce recipe, but your favorite bottled or jarred version works too.
• Ricotta cheese – I like to top my finished meatballs with a dollop of cool ricotta. If you want to get crazy, you can whip it first for a deliciously light texture.

How to Make Lavo One Pound Meatballs

Make the iconic jumbo meatballs right in your own kitchen following these simple steps.

1. Soak bread. In a small bowl, soak the fresh bread cubes in the milk. Squeeze and drain milk, reserving the bread.
2. Sauté onion and garlic. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
3. Combine eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs, onion mixture and soaked bread. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, dry breadcrumbs, fresh parsley and basil. Stir in the soaked bread and onion mixture.
4. Add the ground meat mixture, breaking it into smaller pieces as you add it to the binder. Using your hands, mix until well combined and form into one large ball. Divide the meat mixture into thirds.
5. Form meatballs. From each third into a large meatball by tossing it from hand to hand and packing. Transfer to a large plate.
6. Chill meatballs. Refrigerate the meatballs for a minimum of one hour, but as much as overnight to bind.
7. Bake meatballs. When ready to make, preheat the oven. The meatballs might need to reformed a bit. Bake.
8. Top with sauce and bake again. Remove, try to ladle out any large bits of oil. Top the meatballs with your favorite marinara sauce. Return to the oven until they have reached a safe internal temperature.
9. Allow to rest. Remove and allow to rest..
10. Whip ricotta. Meanwhile, place the ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and using a whisk attachment, whisk until it is smooth and frothy.
11. Top meatballs with cheese. Top each meatball with a large dollop of cold, whipped ricotta cheese and more freshly chopped parsley and/or basil.

Tips for the Best Meatballs

Here is what I learned from Chef John Deloach of LAVO New York’s about making the infamous LAVO One Pound Meatballs:

• Do not overwork the meat. Many cooks unintentionally overwork meatballs, meatloaf, and even hamburgers. Allow yourself to mix until just combined and then toss and pat to firm together instead of mixing and kneading.
• More breadcrumbs. If the meat feels loose, add more breadcrumbs. Because of the massive size of this thing, you might need more than you’d usually add to hold it together.
• Internal temp. Since you can’t really slice one open, make sure you take the internal temperature to ensure the meatball is done. It should read 160 degrees.

What to Serve with Lavo One Pound Meatballs

You can serve these meatballs with just about any Italian cuisine that you like. While I could make a meal of just the meatball itself, you can serve with a variety of homemade pastas too.

Italian classics like spaghetti, honeycomb pasta or baked mostaccioli would be perfect on the dinner menu with these meatballs. I actually like to serve mine with some fresh whipped ricotta too!

Top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and with the right ambiance, you’ll almost feel like you’re having a fine dining experience at the notorious Italian restaurant yourself.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Lavo One Pound Meatballs

Meatballs can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat meatballs in the microwave, oven or on the stovetop, depending on how many you have and also how you prepared them.

Can I Freeze Meatballs?

Meatballs can be frozen raw or cooked. Place in an airtight freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Remember, air is the enemy and creates freezer burn.

More Meaty Italian Recipes

If you know me, you know I’m an Italian girl that loves Italian food. If you do too, here are some of my favorites.