My lesson in Sicilian food came courtesy of my mom who is 100% Sicilian. Savory and sweet is a hallmark of the cuisine and although it sounds weird, trust me when I say it is delicious. You can use other ground
meats, but my family prefers turkey as it has less fat.
Ingredients
Two 28 oz. cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting meatballs
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
3 garlic cloves minced
2 large eggs beaten
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 pounds ground turkey (dark meat)
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pour the tomatoes in a cast iron dutch oven and crush them by hand. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, add the ground turkey, the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, eggs, salt and pepper. Add the pine nuts, currants and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix together until mixture is firm enough to roll. Form the mixture into meatballs (the size of golf balls). Make sure the pine nuts and currants are tucked in so they don't burn!
Prepare a cookie sheet or roasting pan by drizzling olive oil. If using a cookie sheet, I use foil for easy clean up. Place the meatballs close together slightly touching and roast for about 27 minutes until cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes. I like to serve mine over polenta, but pasta is great as well! Top with additional Parmesan cheese.
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