This is a delicious Italian meatballs recipe that friends and family will love.

It is a little different than the meatballs my mother used to make, but quite delicious.

Although you certainly don't find this in most meatball recipes, I like the addition here of a bit of tomato paste. It gives the meatballs extra zip.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried oregano
1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup (175 ml) parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 pounds (750 g) extra lean ground beef
1/3 cup (75 ml) tomato paste
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine the egg, parmesan cheese, ground beef, tomato sauce and parsley. Add the onion garlic mixture and mix until the ingredients are blended.

Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 1/2" in diameter. Fry in a bit of oil or, if you prefer to bake them, place them on a baking sheet and bake in preheated 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Add them to Italian tomato sauce and heat through to serve.

Serves 8

• Meatballs can be fried or baked. Baking meat balls results in a lower fat content, but I prefer the nice brown crust on the fried version. Suit your own taste. They will both taste great.
• You can also add 1 celery rib, finely diced to the meat mixture. A real Italian meatballs recipe doesn't use celery, but some think it's a nice addition. If you do add celery, saute it with the onion.
• Italians often use a mixture of ground beef, pork and veal. It makes the meatballs very flavorful.