I serve this to company when I have no idea what to make. I’ve never met anyone that hasn’t loved this dish (even people who don’t like green peas). My grandmother made this dish time and time again. I've been known to make this and eat it LITERALLY three nights in a row without blinking an eye. Everyone has their own version, but this is the way Grandma Rose made it according to my father.
Hunts tomato sauce in a can ( 4 cans -I know this might sound unorthodox, but this is the way my Grandma Rose did it, so this is the way I’m going to suggest you do it. Why? Because she said so. If you don’t want to use Hunt’s tomato sauce as your base for the meatball stew, you probably should just do it anyway.
Russet potatoes (2 cut into large bite sized pieces (Grandma peeled them, I leave the skins on)
Green Peas (Del Monte canned peas -1 can- again, it’s what grandma used)
Parmesan Cheese (I cup-grated)
***Meatballs (recipe below)
Oregano ( 1 tbsp)- You can also use Italian Seasoning with the parsley in it. I DO NOT use fresh Oregano, I feel the flavor is too strong.
Fresh garlic- (minced-1 tbsp)
Red Wine ( 1 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
MEATBALLS
This is a recipe that has been with my family for as long as I can remember. My grandmother always made these with beef, which is what I do if I'm making for guests. If you want to use the traditional Italian mixture ( beef, pork and veal) you can. If I’m making them during the week for my family I try to make a leaner version w turkey. These make great meatball subs and they are wonderful with pasta. They also make the house smell like my Grandma Rose’s house and that was the best smell ever.
-1 lb ground meat ( beef for full fat version, turkey and ground turkey sausage for lighter version)
-1 yellow onion ( minced or grated-I grate when I’m feeding someone that doesn’t like the texture of onions)
- 1 garlic clove ( minced or 1 tsp garlic powder) - Use what you have
- Dried oregano (1 tablespoon)
- Dried or fresh parsley (1 tablespoon)
- 1 egg ( per one pound of meat)
- Parmesan cheese ( grated ½ cup)
- Italian breadcrumbs ( Or broken up stale bread 1 cup)
- Olive oil (for cooking)
Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. ( I use my hands, it works the best)
Once mixed, roll the meat into small balls ( about the size of a large golf ball for small meatballs, double the for large meatballs)
Drizzle olive oil in a non stick skillet and add approximately 5 meatballs to the pan each batch without overcrowding the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides before removing and placing on a plate lined with paper towels. (If you make sauce, you can place the meatballs directly in the sauce)
** If you are using in sauce or meatball stew...you can put the browned meatballs in the sauce after the potatoes to finish cooking.
FOR THE MEATBALL STEW
Drizzle the olive oil ( 2 tsp ) and add minced garlic until you can smell it. Do not burn the garlic. Add in the hunts tomato sauce, oregano, parmesan, red wine and potatos. Stir and let simmer on low for 30 minutes or so until the potatoes are almost soft. Put the browned meatballs in the sauce pot to finish cooking. Let simmer for another 20 minutes on medium. Add drained peas and heat through.
Let simmer for approximately 10-15 more minutes until everything is heated through.
Serve in bowls with crusty bread and top with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
MANGE!