Pizza with Baked Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons panko
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Two 8-ounce balls of pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 cup basil leaves
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- Brush a large ceramic baking dish with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg.
- Stir in the panko, garlic, parsley, 1/4 cup of the cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Add the ground beef and gently knead to combine.
- Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and transfer to the baking dish.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, turning once, until browned.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat until bubbling.
- Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- With a large spoon, mash the meatballs into large chunks.
- Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, brush 2 large baking sheets with olive oil and preheat in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
- On a lightly floured work surface, cut each ball of dough in half.
- Roll each piece into a 10-inch oval.
- Arrange the dough on the heated baking sheets.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, shifting the pans halfway through baking, until lightly golden on top.
- Spread the meatball sauce over the crusts, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the rims.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese.
- Bake for about 5 minutes, until the crust is crisp on the bottom and the cheese is melted.
- Scatter basil leaves over the pizzas and serve hot.
extravirgin olive oil, egg, garlic, flatleaf parsley, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, ground beef, tomatoes, basil
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pizza-with-baked-meatballs (may not work)