Eyeball Meatballs
These are proper Italian meatballs in tomato: breadcrumbs soaked soft, parmesan in the mix. All the horror happens in the last five minutes, when a round of mozzarella and half an olive go on each one. The cheese slumps a little under the grill, and suddenly there are twenty eyes on the table.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 5
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 430 kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs
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What to use instead
Any aged hard cheese replaces the parmesan — use 10 g less, as most are saltier.
Sauce and eyes
Makes: 20 meatballs
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Soak the breadcrumbs
Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and leave for 10 minutes. This paste is what keeps the meatballs moist — without it they stay dense and dry however long you simmer them.
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Step 2: Mix
Add the mince, egg, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to the soaked crumbs. Work it together by hand until even, but no longer: overworked mince turns rubbery.
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Step 3: Roll
With wet hands, roll 20 balls of about 30 g — walnut-sized. Keeping them the same size matters, or some will overcook.
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Step 4: Brown them
Heat the oil in a wide pan and brown the meatballs all over, 6–7 minutes. They are still raw inside, which is as it should be.
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Step 5: Make the sauce
Lift the meatballs out, soften the onion in the same pan for 4 minutes, pour in the passata and add the oregano and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes until it thickens.
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Step 6: Simmer together
Return the meatballs, cover and cook gently for 12 minutes, turning once. The sauce should barely bubble.
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Step 7: Add the eyes
Transfer everything to a dish, lay a round of mozzarella on each meatball and an olive half, cut side down, on top. Grill for 3–4 minutes, until the cheese just starts to melt but still holds its shape.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Do not leave them under the grill any longer: the mozzarella should settle, not spread. Pull them out as soon as the edges of the rounds go soft.
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Variation
Half pork mince gives juicier meatballs, though they hold their round shape less well.
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Swap
Any aged hard cheese replaces the parmesan — use 10 g less, as most are saltier.
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Storage
The meatballs in sauce, without the cheese, keep 3 days in the fridge and only improve. Add fresh eyes each time you serve.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 5 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 430 kcal | 2,150 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g | 160 g |
| Fat | 28 g | 140 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 60 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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