Mamma Concetta's meatballs

Mamma Concetta's Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Lb Ground Pork
• 1 ½ Lb Ground Veal
• 2 Bunches cooked and sautéed Broccoli Rabe
• 3 Whole eggs
• ½ cup Parmesan Reggiano Cheese Grated
• ½ Loaf sweet bread crust removed and soaked in water
• 2 Ts. Salt (To taste)
• 1 Ts. Black Pepper

Meatballs Sauce:

• 4 14oz Can Peeled and Chopped tomatoes
• 4 oz. Smoked bacon
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Dried Arbol Chilies
• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1 Ts Sugar

Method:

1. Blanch broccoli rabe in boiling salted water until tender.
   
   
2. In a Large pan coated with Olive Oil, sauté the broccoli rabe with a few smashed cloves of garlic.
   
   
3. Chop roughly and set aside.
   
   
4. Squeeze the water out of the soaked bread and put in a bowl with the ground pork, eggs, broccoli, parmesan, salt and pepper.
   
   
5. Mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined.
   
   
6. Chill for at least 20 minutes in a refrigerator
   
   
7. Shape the meatballs about 2 oz each. Sauté in olive oil until just they become brown

To make the sauce :

1. Blend the tomatoes until smooth
   
   
2. In a large stainless pot brown the bacon in the olive oil
   
   
3. Add the garlic, chilies and tomato puree, let simmer for about 10- 15 minutes.
   
   
4. Add the meatballs to the sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to simmer until the Meatballs are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.

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About Donna Scala:

As owner of Bistro Don Giovanni, Donna Scala blends the key elements of creativity, design and commitment to quality that make the Bistro a unique dining experience. Donna grew up surrounded by the family hotel and restaurant business in Virginia. Her grandfather, of Greek descent, had several different types of restaurants, which inspired her to follow in the family footsteps.

Donna spent a year in the South of France studying her culinary craft and returned in 1982 to open a gourmet food store with a French/Italian flair in Sausalito called Donarcy's, featuring pastas, soups and gourmet food-to-go. Coinciding with Donna and Giovanni's pairing up, Claude Rouas of the well-known Auberge du Soleil asked them to put together an Italian restaurant for a Yountville location.

The Scala's created and named the Piatti Ristorante concept. After six years with Piatti Ristorante, Donna and Giovanni decided to branch out on their own and in 1993 they opened Bistro Don Giovanni, specializing in rustic Italian and southern French food. Donna Scala is passionate about her creations, and only uses the freshest, finest raw ingredients from local purveyors as well as vegetables and herbs from the restaurant's gardens.

The Scalas also produce their own olive oil from the olive trees located on the property. In 1995 Donna and Giovanni opened Scala's Bistro in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco.

The year it opened, Scala's Bistro was named "Best New Restaurant" nationwide by Food and Wine Magazine, and Donna Scala received the distinguished honor of "Best New Chef." After five years, Donna and Giovanni left Scala's Bistro to concentrate all their energies on Bistro Don Giovanni.

Bistro Don Giovanni
4110 Howard Ln
Napa, CA 94558-1324
Phone: (707) 224-3300
Website: www.bistrodongiovanni.com