Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce

There are always so many ways to prepare meatballs and today I am combining the meat with the rice. It is a filling that we use often in Italian cooking as a stuffing. My Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon Sauce bring together my Calabrese and Sicilian heritage. The table is fresh and lemony tonight.

Changing the way we prepare supper

What I love most about my Italian friends is how supper is light and refreshing; it is never heavy or difficult to prepare. My Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon Sauce come together in one pan and I serve them along some freshly sliced grilled zucchini. We certainly try to eat lighter meals and night and this is a winner in every way.

For another wonderful meatball recipe see https://recipesatmytable.com/agrodolce-tomato-basil-turkey-meatballs/

Ingredients Beef And Rice Meatballs With Lemon Sauce

6 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves garlic (divided)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
a pound lean ground beef
1 cup cooked Arborio rice
salt and pepper to taste
juice and zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp Limoncello liqueur
1 tbsp butter

PRocess

Boil the rice, drain and set aside to cool. Finely chop the 1 garlic clove and onion. I use a mini food processor. Add this to the beef. Next put in the minced parsley and cooled rice. Mix together.

Use a small ice cream scooper to make the meatballs.

Place 3 tbsp of olive oil into a pan set on medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches and remove to a plate.

Add the remaining 3 tbs of olive oil to the pan. Sprinkle in the Italian Seasoning and add the whole garlic clove and warm-up these fragrant additions. Now pour in the 1/2 cup broth and the lemon juice. Scrap up any brown bits in the pan.

Now return the meatballs to the pan. Cover on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs and place on a platter keeping them warm. Add the limoncello and butter to the sauce and reduce.