Vincenzo, you should do some reactions to NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW videos. He has a lot of really nice and unique Italian food, and he show set up is really nice. I think you'll like him a lot. He even has a video where he makes spaghetti whith the small meatballs like you mentioned. Love both your channels, mate. I think it would be cool to see you check his channel out. You both are some of my favorites... dood!
I found his video, if you're curious and want to watch it. I've been making my meatballs for spaghetti small ever since I saw it... dood! th-cam.com/video/SLMH8bANH84/w-d-xo.html
Ummm yeah I am going to try that but I still don't like spaghetti noodles would rather have angel hair. Better texture. But love the tiny balls idea. Since I'm Italian hailing from Sicily I love a good sauce and balls.
Yes yes yes!! Small meat balls is the only way to go. Us Americans have to make everything bigger. It ruins the experience. I never really liked meat balls till I made your small balls recipe!!
America is melting pot and often what happens is that the cuisine gets adapted to fit the available ingredients and local palate. I wonder if the meatballs got larger because of Nordic or German influence.
I was watching a chef making a pasta dish the other day and all I could hear was Vincenzo. He made the pasta first and left it in a bowl with oil while he made the sauce. Then he plated the naked pasta and spooned the sauce on top. I could hear Vincenzo saying that the pasta is now dead and they have to MAKE LOVE 😅
Evidently that chef never knew the rules of how to make a pasta dish. He did practically everything backwards ! He will never have heard of the famous rule in Italian cuisine regarding pasta, that says.... “it is the sauce that waits for the pasta and NOT the pasta that waits for the sauce”. Not to mention then of course to put, as many do unfortunately, the pasta directly into the dish and then add a little sauce on top.
It's so nice watching two chefs who are really conscientious about their art, and your comments are so respectful even if you disagree with him. Great video.
I’ve made Vincenzo’s tiny meatballs and it is exquisite, but it literally takes three times as long to make. When you have the time, I would go for it.
In the States the cheap pasta is $1, the good quality pasta like Rummo or La Molisana is about 6-7-8 dollars, and artisanal pasta is 10-15 dollars. So the difference is not just a dollar. But yes, the quality is very different.
I think the idea with large meatballs is that there's two very significantly different textures there, a crispy outside and a soft inside, and that is much easier to do when the meatballs are large
You've got a point! 😄 Large meatballs can indeed offer that delightful contrast between a crispy exterior and a tender interior. It's all about the texture play. Enjoy experimenting with different sizes and textures in your meatballs! 👨🍳🍴👌
True enough, but the non-Italians making spaghetti and meatballs, and the restaurants I've been to, rarely have any crispiness to the meatlballs. They leave them as ummarked as a French omelette.
Vincenzo my favourite chef on TH-cam, because you never dictate recipes to people, you show us that you are also learning yourself and that shows a great amount of humility and deserves a lot of respect.
Vincenzo, The American meatball size is all about the "chew" of the meat. It's so good. You gotta try it all least once. I'm not saying small meatballs aren't good either, but it's basically a different dish. The textures are completely different in your mouth.
Italians also make big meatballs! The difference is that they aren't served at the same time as the pasta. The normal way of doing it would be a first dish of only pasta with sauce, and a second dish with the meatballs and sauce.
Ciao Sicilian-American friend! 😄 Mini meatballs are a tasty twist, and it's always fun to explore new culinary traditions. Give them a try, and you might discover a delicious addition to your repertoire! 🍝👨🍳🇮🇹😋
I got my tomato sauce recipe from a Sicilian woman who made the best Italian food I have ever had. It is superb. (I am sworn to secrecy: her family recipe) +_+
@@youtubehatesus2651 Never understood that. Why keep a recipe secret? If it makes something delicious and you want to share it with people, why not share it?
Based on some stuff Adam Ragusea has talked about in relation to his Italian-American family history, I think the reason meatballs got a lot bigger in the US was that Italian-American immigrant family sizes for a long time were huge (as is pretty common in immigrant communities generally), and one or a few cooks (mothers and grandmothers, etc) would be making enough food for a lot, a LOT of people. It's a lot less manual labor if you increase the size and decrease the quantity of meatballs, and when you're cooking for a dozen or more people, labor-saving measures become really necessary.
I was taught that when the early Italian immigrants came here in the late 1800's that meat was very expensive and was used sparingly by the common folks in Italy. When they reached the US meat was a lot cheaper and more abundantly available. So they modified their recipes to use more meat.
@@richdiddens4059see, I heard something similar to this in the Good Eats revival episode on chicken Parmesan. "There was finally enough", in reference to all the different meats available to immigrants in the US.
When I was a child we had some Italian-American friends who made wonderful meatballs. They always served them with rigatoni or penne instead of spaghetti and it makes a big difference. That way you have the chunks of meatball and chunks of pasta together.
Your Italian-American friends had a tasty idea! 🍝 Mixing meatballs with rigatoni or penne allows for a perfect bite with both pasta and meatball in one go. A delightful twist on a classic! 😋👌🇮🇹
Hey there! 😄 Absolutely, soaked breadcrumbs are a game-changer for moist meatballs. Heavy cream sounds indulgent! 🥛 Keep those delicious tips coming! 😁👍
So I was born and raised in the USA but.........I have several Italian friends, including grandmothers and never heard of small meatballs. I do want to make them and will but I also want to explain how we eat these larger meatballs with spaghetti. We break up the meatball into 4 parts with a swirl of pasta. This is a tasty way to eat spaghetti w meatballs even though they are larger.
I never thought of the "mini meatball" as being able to have a meatball in every bite. You learn something new every day! However, American sized meatballs are great for meatball subs.
Vincenzo always wonders why things changed when the got to America. It is simple, it Italy you had many regions with diffeent cuisines spread out. They all came to America and blended in the same few neighborhoods. Soon elements and modifications from different regions were added to dishes, transforming them. And over time it became the American-Italian we know. Italy still stays regional with their foods with limited blending. America the immigrants mashed everything from Tuscany to Sicily into one cuisine.
I would like to add, that also in America, there was more meat avalible and at an inexpensive price compared to Italy. So Italian Immigramts started using more meat in their dishes than was traditional.
Joshua is amazing, and I love that you, Vincenzo, liked his spaghetti and meatballs. Side note as an American, I never liked those huge meatballs that are served in restaurants. You have shown us that smaller is better when it comes to meatballs, and I completely agree. Great video, awesome review!
The "dog food" is our less expensive way of packaging ground meat in America. My local butcher from my hometown only packaged his ground meat like that and it was very high quality. He didn't want to waste money on Styrofoam and other packaging materials. That's also how many package ground wild game meat. It doesn't look as nice, but it saves money and creates less waste!
Most ground meat in the USA comes in plastic trays, but when you see it in cylinders like that, it's usually because it was treated to prevent spoilage. That's useful if you only go shopping once a week and don't want food poisoning if you're cooking the meat the night before you go shopping again. You can also find the more premium grass fed beef in vacuum sealed blocks.
For the ground beef here in the U.S. you can still get it the way you are probably use to seeing it from the butcher, it's the most common way. What he was using is just another way of packaging it in a plastic wrap that seals it completely and there is no air and none of the blood spilling out. It's easier for shipping and storing in the freezer for longer periods. It's the same thing and taste the same it just gets compressed a little more due to the packaging. You can also get big 5lb(2.26kg) packages of it so it just makes it easier to keep it stored since it's completely sealed and air tight.
Absolutely! Mortadella can add a delightful twist to meatballs, making them even more flavorful and moist. Give it a try and let your taste buds do the talking! 😋👨🍳👌
$2 ?? No way, that must be a per plate cost. Here in Indiana those imported certified Italian tomatoes are $4.80 for a 28oz can. The whole pan will cost $25 minimum here. I use those exact ingredients and I also grow and preserve San Marzano tomatoes in my garden, they are the best!
Wow, prices can vary a lot! 🍅🌱 In Indiana, it seems like the imported Italian tomatoes are a bit pricier. Lucky you for growing and preserving San Marzano tomatoes! 🙌🍅 Homemade is always the best! 🍝😋
I love where you’re going with these vids. I hope you get a chance to cook alongside Joshua like Andy did. Your food is awesome. I’m a fan. And hopefully you get alongside Nat too! That would be epic 😁
Would love to see a video with you making meatballs with mortadella and see your expression of the flavor (of course small meatballs). Great video as always
The spaghetti with small meatballs Vincenzo look gorgeous and elegant! I think I will try that but also adding mortadella. I think that would ramp up the humble meatball a lot!
Absolutely! The small meatballs add a touch of texture to the dish and adding mortadella sounds like a fantastic plan. It's a game-changer! Buon appetito.
I'm an American and I like my meatballs on the larger side, but I don't like them too large (the best size for me is somewhere between the size of my thumb nail and an American 25 cent piece). I like to be able to twirl some pasta around my fork and then stab a whole meatball and take a bite. I think a nice crust is very important on meatballs. It adds a different texture that compliments the pasta.
When I was visiting family in nyc earlier this year, I had dinner in a restaurant owned by a chef from Abruzzo. I had the Chitarra Con Polpettine (with the tiny meatballs) and it was so wonderful.
Dear Vincenzo, I have already cooked some of your pasta recipes and am delighted. Your spaghetti and meatballs recipe is unrivalled. If you could now decide to make a good caponata video, I (and not just me, I suspect) would be very happy.
I got a secondhand pasta machine for $15. It’s probably easier to use the stand mixer with attachment, but mine works just fine for me. It’s what I could afford and it does what it’s supposed to.
Fennel in the meatballs and he has redeemed himself - I agree on the size, I make them small, bake them a bit so they sweat, then finish them in the sauce.
Joshua's recipe has been my Go-To for pasta night since I saw it last year! I can whip it up in about half an hour (longer if I make the pasta from scratch), It's good, and economical! I'll try Vincenzo's suggestion of making tiny meatballs next time I make it!
hey vincenzo, i think i have the answer to why when the food went to america the portion sizes got bigger. So basically when Italians came to america, the diary was cheaper, the meat was cheaper, and the locally grown cheeses were extremely cheap, and so since this was the case rather than having tiny meatballs, for the same price u could have much much bigger ones and more of the bigger ones... so in essence it jus came down to how cheap the meat prices were back then
Food in Texas was pretty cheap when I was shopping there. I live in Hawaii and food prices out here are high. I buy De Cecco pasta from Amazon at $2 a box. At Safeway in Hawaii, it's $5.39
I always wondered that about the meatballs as well. It turns out, the portions of Italian food, including the size of meatballs, got bigger in North America as the first and second generation Italian immigrants started making more money from the work and opportunity they came here in search of. They had more money for ingredients like meat and cheese and ate more of it. Fun fact for the day :)
i had meatballs in Rome at a place called Da Enzo, it had mortadella in them, was nice but i was not totally convinced...Romans must like them. When i make the meatballs i deep fry them until brownish then put them into the sauce. this way they keep the nice uniformed shape.
The Italian-American "spaghetti and meatballs" really doesn't trace its origins to the dish of spaghetti alla chitarra with mini meatballs from Abruzzo. That dish is just a hyper-regional local speciality which even today is relatively unknown in the rest of Italy. It makes no sense to imagine that all Italian immigrants knew this recipe and then just over time forgot how to make it. It makes much more sense to realise that it was just Italian immigrants making the usual more generic southern Italian polpette (in the local style of their own region), which was (and still is) traditionally served as the meat course after a primo of pasta dressed with the sauce from the meatballs. Then over time, as people got used to different styles of meal service in the new world, eventually they just started serving the pasta with sauce _and_ the polpette in one plate, instead of as part of a multi-course meal. It was really as simple as that. This isn't to say the mini meatball dish from Teramo isn't awesome - it is. But it's not the "ancestor" of spaghetti and meatballs.
You bring up an interesting perspective! 🤔 It's true that Italian-American cuisine evolved in unique ways. While the origins of "spaghetti and meatballs" may have varied, it's all about celebrating the delicious fusion that emerged. Let's keep enjoying these tasty traditions! 😄🍝🇮🇹
Let's say that Italians in America have then also adapted to the American system of often putting various things on the same plate, just as, for example, they put a roasted chicken steak on top of a plate of spaghetti. Whereas the tradition here in Italy has always been to put things in separate dishes, making the famous Primo Piatto (first course) and Secondo Piatto (second course). In fact, large meatballs in tomato sauce are obviously made by us, but we serve them as a second course and not together with spaghetti.
For the ground beef, it is very common in the US. It is also available in Canada, but not as popular. I think it has to do with the fact that wrapped like this, it's easier to ship due to the reduced packaging size, and it may be able to stay fresh longer, due to the fact that it contains almost no air.
For the entire 15 minutes of the video, I was only thinking about how the hell he makes such small meatballs. I'm off to look at this recipe immediately.
Yes the grabbing of pasta out of the water with tongs, I do that also thanks to you Vincenzo ❤️ I use my pasta water all the time now thanks to you My first true Italian dish I made was carbonara thanks to you 🙏 ❤ and I used my pasta water
0:46. Caro Vincenzo, e quello quando le cose approdano in America, non solo nella maggior parte dei casi si trasformano, ma si ingigantiscono anche automaticamente ! Si gonfiano durante il trasporto. 😉😀
Ciao! 😂 Hai proprio ragione, quando le cose attraversano l'oceano, sembrano diventare giganti! 😆🇺🇸 Ma l'importante è che il sapore rimanga autentico! 😉👌
Spaghetti and meatballs was introduced to America in the 1880's. The Italians who moved to the U.S created bigger meatballs for a couple of reasons. Meat was much cheaper and Americans themsleves wanted more meat. I would love for Vincezo to research Italian American food and how it changed by the very Italians who moved to the U.S.
Hey there! 😄 Interesting tidbit! 🍝 Italians in the U.S. sure made some meaty changes to our beloved dishes! Will definitely consider it for future episodes. 🇮🇹🇺🇸
@@vincenzosplateI’d be very happy if you also had a look at South American Italian dishes like Argentinian pizza fugazzeta or Peruvian green spaghetti with their own spinach and basil pesto , I think you’d be pleasantly surprised
At 4:44, Yes that's how ground meat is sometimes packed in the US! In the packing it looks like a huge sausage link wrapped in plastic. Usually, it's about 1 pound(.45 kilos) in weight. Typically, its pork or hamburger and the cheaper stuff.
I think the reason for larger meatballsin the US was the availability of meat and the fact that people were not willing to spend the time to make them. Personally, I like smaller meatballs to eat, but when I am making them at home, I do go for larger because making so many tiny meatballs is tedious
You CAN buy ground meat here in the US like that in tubes, but I do not. I suppose some people don't mint, but it always seems very fatty. Also, I like to see the meat I am buying. In those tubes, that is not possible. God Bless 🥰
The reason the ground beef looks like that is because Josh probably got it in rolled form. In the US, for easier transportation, some companies roll ground beef in plastic wrappers similar to sausage meat. It just compresses it some compared to having it on a plastic or foam container with plastic wrapping.
There’s a huge Italian community in Australia. Has their been any Australian Italian dishes created? We only here about American Italian dishes. I never hear about Argentinian Italian dishes, Australian Italian dishes, Canadian Italian dishes…. Just wondering lol 🤷♂️
I'm happy to see you also prefer meatballs cooked in the sauce over fried first. Agreed that sugar should never be added to a good sauce. Josh did a good job even if his meatballs were a little too large. It is an American thing. Mortadella? You can try it first and let us know if it's worth the trouble.
The ground beef looked like that because it was overworked. The more you work fround beef, the more it'll have a sausage patty consistency. Learned that one from chef brian tsao and frenchie
Ciao Vincenzo! All I can say from an Italian American perspective is this dish is a combination of polpette al sugo e spaghetti as a way to cater to American eating habits. The very fast pace of life we have here we don’t have time to serve these dishes separately and like you said everything becomes bigger here portion wise also the addition to tons of garlic everywhere. It was made as a way to market to the American taste and lifestyle while retaining some cultural influence as well so we could survive and thrive in a different world. As is with a majority of Italian American dishes. Love your content fratello keep up what you do! Edit: no crema nella carbonara 😤 che un peccato!
Never known or heard of tiny meatballs but I really like the idea. I cook the large ones like Joshua, and it's nice as they become a feature of the dish, having to cut them and you get a mouthful. Especially if you put nice flavours in them, like Mortadella, or pork and beef (instead of just one) etc. I'm going to cook your little balls next time though, see how it is.
Hahahaah Enzo freaking a lot for the minced meat packages... I saw those this year in Mexico and thought similarly (except I´ve never seen dog food like that) and was skeptical but, it does keep the meat super fresh, and I prefer that packaging now! I gues Aussies do love their dogos if they package their food in that way.
I am from Denmark and the thing i like about italy is you dont mess with their farvorite football team, you dont mess with their wine and you definetly dont mess with spaghetti 😂❤
Yes Vincenzo........we have meat like that in America. You can find it in every WalMart. It is the super cheap stuff for people who are hard on their luck. I've never bought it, and I no longer buy the regular meat at WalMart either. I buy almost all of my meat from 2 different farmers. Joshua is making $2 spaghetti and meatballs.......so he bought the super cheap ground beef that looks like pet food. If he bought the regular ground beef it wouldn't be possible to make the dish for $2.
The meat I am speaking of probably costs about half as much as regular ground beef. It's cheap. It's gross. It's for people who are struggling with poverty. It's probably a mixture of cows from 7 different countries from all over the world. Very unhealthy.
I know you will find this funny, I bought some genuine high quality Italian dried pasta. Cooked it for the recommended time and to me it was perfect, absolutely perfect. But who I was cooking for has no teeth. So they could not bite through it. Another 10 mins of cooking, still fairly al-dente, they could still not bite through it. Another 10 mins and they could. REAL italian pasta can be way overcooked and still stay really chewy, it's great.
Where I grew up, there is no meat balls, everything is integrated, my spaghetti sause have mushroom/carrots/celery and i've recently added squash, it helps w the texture and keep the sauce co-hesive.
Big meatballs, when you break in half with fork, it exposes large surface area that has not been in contact with the sauce.....I like the sauce to spend time touching the meat!
Had a cousin who came to visit from Sicily years ago, and she marveled at how much meat we eat. She told us that meat was super expensive there, so they ate it sparingly. The meatballs they made was nearly half bread, and that's how I make mine. To me it makes the meatballs much lighter and not clog your pipes, if you know what I mean.
Im french canadian and even us make big meatballs , you cut a piece with every bites ! I need to try the small ones as the reparation through the pasta might be more balanced !
Hey Vicenzo, I'm guessing you fry the meatballs before freezing them? And straight out of the freezer and into the sauce pan, right? Thanks so much for your recipes, buddy, they're another level, like you say.
Everything gets bigger when it gets to the US 😂 Doesn’t mean it’s better though - your version makes sense so you taste the meatballs and spaghetti together in every mouthful 👍
Italian home cooking starts with using fresh local ingredients. Not ingredients from the other side of the world. When cooking Italian, you make sure you know all the ingredients well. Everything local from nearby. Where, so to speak, you know the fields where your local farmer grows his crops. You know what the meat of the day is at your butcher. Where you buy your piece of fish early in the morning on the quay when the fishing boats moor. In short, fresh products from local farmers, butchers, fishermen, ... that is authentic Italian cuisine Nonna's way.
Absolutely, my friend! You've captured the heart of Italian home cooking perfectly. That's the essence of authentic Italian cuisine, just like Nonna used to make. Glad you enjoyed this so much.
A crossover between you two would be sick. Idk if I will but strongly thinking about combining your two recipes to see how good these can be. And yeah, the large meatballs was always so weird. I should defo do it for people so they can be converted
I like spaghetti and meatballs. Anyway and size. I have tried and enjoy both of of the recipes referred to in this video. Neither one more than the other.
I agree about the meatball size. My family is doesn't make meatballs to go with pasta, they are stand alone. When it comes to spaghetti and meat balls we would just make a Bolognese or an Americanized meat sauce
From what I've noticed, American recipes are usually a mish mash of multiple recipes from all over the world. For this one, I'm guessing it something like swedish meatballs with an italian sauce and pasta and they called it Italian meatballs
I'm cooking my way through Joshua's cookbook now. I really like the way it is organized. I'm planning on making your porchetta ,from your video for my family on New Year's Day. might you be producing a cookbook of your traditional recipes? I sdure hope so!
Because of Vincenzo's Plate I no longer make carbonara with cream. LOL! And when I tell my Italian friends here in the US they look at me like I'm from Mars. I guess they have been taught the way it's done here and not the traditional way.
Some place in Italy has to do that way spaghetti and meatballs, because in Argentina the meatballs are also huge and I'm pretty sure that we get the recipe from the italian immigrants 🤣 However, I ask myself the same question: why US meat is almost pink? Meat needs to be red. RED. Pink meat on my country means that cannot be consumed anymore. None the less, it looks like a great plate and the mortadela it's something that I'm going to try 😊
We have a very large Italian population where i live depending on the family restaurant you go to you can get large meatballs, small meatballs or meat sauce.
I lived in Napoli for 10 plus years, and I never had spaghetti with meatballs . It's probably because of my of my addiction to carbonara or vongole . My mom used to make ....😂
Are you going to try the Original Spaghetti Meatballs made with tiny meatballs? Here is the recipe th-cam.com/video/3eb5Kk1VS9w/w-d-xo.html
Vincenzo, you should do some reactions to NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW videos. He has a lot of really nice and unique Italian food, and he show set up is really nice. I think you'll like him a lot. He even has a video where he makes spaghetti whith the small meatballs like you mentioned. Love both your channels, mate. I think it would be cool to see you check his channel out. You both are some of my favorites... dood!
I found his video, if you're curious and want to watch it. I've been making my meatballs for spaghetti small ever since I saw it... dood!
th-cam.com/video/SLMH8bANH84/w-d-xo.html
Ummm yeah I am going to try that but I still don't like spaghetti noodles would rather have angel hair. Better texture. But love the tiny balls idea. Since I'm Italian hailing from Sicily I love a good sauce and balls.
Yes yes yes!! Small meat balls is the only way to go. Us Americans have to make everything bigger. It ruins the experience. I never really liked meat balls till I made your small balls recipe!!
America is melting pot and often what happens is that the cuisine gets adapted to fit the available ingredients and local palate. I wonder if the meatballs got larger because of Nordic or German influence.
I was watching a chef making a pasta dish the other day and all I could hear was Vincenzo. He made the pasta first and left it in a bowl with oil while he made the sauce. Then he plated the naked pasta and spooned the sauce on top. I could hear Vincenzo saying that the pasta is now dead and they have to MAKE LOVE 😅
Oh mamma mia 🤦🏻♂️ why people don’t know how to cook pasta? 😭
Evidently that chef never knew the rules of how to make a pasta dish. He did practically everything backwards ! He will never have heard of the famous rule in Italian cuisine regarding pasta, that says.... “it is the sauce that waits for the pasta and NOT the pasta that waits for the sauce”. Not to mention then of course to put, as many do unfortunately, the pasta directly into the dish and then add a little sauce on top.
The pasta is dead! Now the sauce goes to jail for nercrophilia.
@@jrm48220 🤣
Was it Jean-Pierre's Pasta alla Norcina?
It's so nice watching two chefs who are really conscientious about their art, and your comments are so respectful even if you disagree with him. Great video.
I’ve made Vincenzo’s tiny meatballs and it is exquisite, but it literally takes three times as long to make. When you have the time, I would go for it.
Yes my friend, it definitely takes longer to make the version with tiny meatballs, but in my opinion it is worth it!
In the States the cheap pasta is $1, the good quality pasta like Rummo or La Molisana is about 6-7-8 dollars, and artisanal pasta is 10-15 dollars. So the difference is not just a dollar. But yes, the quality is very different.
EVERYTHING HE USED is far more expecive than he described BUT IF U HAVE THAT AT HOME ITS STILL 2 $ FOR GAS AND WATHER AHAHAHAHA
The only thing better than Vincenzo and Joshua's cooking, is seeing support of and respect for each other :) Wholesome viewing!
I think the idea with large meatballs is that there's two very significantly different textures there, a crispy outside and a soft inside, and that is much easier to do when the meatballs are large
You've got a point! 😄 Large meatballs can indeed offer that delightful contrast between a crispy exterior and a tender interior. It's all about the texture play. Enjoy experimenting with different sizes and textures in your meatballs! 👨🍳🍴👌
Wonder if you use an air fryer to recreate the crispness for the tiny meatballs.
Maybe from frozen.
@@vincenzosplatebruh what's up with this ai generated response 💀
True enough, but the non-Italians making spaghetti and meatballs, and the restaurants I've been to, rarely have any crispiness to the meatlballs. They leave them as ummarked as a French omelette.
No American crisps their meat balls unless they’re chefs. Don’t beed to crisp them either. But it helps the meat balls not break.
Vincenzo my favourite chef on TH-cam, because you never dictate recipes to people, you show us that you are also learning yourself and that shows a great amount of humility and deserves a lot of respect.
Not Jack? 😢
Vincenzo, The American meatball size is all about the "chew" of the meat. It's so good. You gotta try it all least once. I'm not saying small meatballs aren't good either, but it's basically a different dish. The textures are completely different in your mouth.
Italians also make big meatballs! The difference is that they aren't served at the same time as the pasta. The normal way of doing it would be a first dish of only pasta with sauce, and a second dish with the meatballs and sauce.
I’m a Sicilian-American, and I have to admit I’ve never seen the mini meatballs, but I’m super intrigued. I’ll have to try it out. 😊
Ciao Sicilian-American friend! 😄 Mini meatballs are a tasty twist, and it's always fun to explore new culinary traditions. Give them a try, and you might discover a delicious addition to your repertoire! 🍝👨🍳🇮🇹😋
I got my tomato sauce recipe from a Sicilian woman who made the best Italian food I have ever had. It is superb. (I am sworn to secrecy: her family recipe) +_+
@@youtubehatesus2651 Now I need to ask, but I get it. You’ve been sworn to secrecy by a Sicilian. lol
Stephen from Not Another Cooking Show did the "tiny" meatballs too and his complaint is strictly "it takes longer" lol but damn it looks soo good.
@@youtubehatesus2651 Never understood that. Why keep a recipe secret? If it makes something delicious and you want to share it with people, why not share it?
Based on some stuff Adam Ragusea has talked about in relation to his Italian-American family history, I think the reason meatballs got a lot bigger in the US was that Italian-American immigrant family sizes for a long time were huge (as is pretty common in immigrant communities generally), and one or a few cooks (mothers and grandmothers, etc) would be making enough food for a lot, a LOT of people. It's a lot less manual labor if you increase the size and decrease the quantity of meatballs, and when you're cooking for a dozen or more people, labor-saving measures become really necessary.
I was taught that when the early Italian immigrants came here in the late 1800's that meat was very expensive and was used sparingly by the common folks in Italy. When they reached the US meat was a lot cheaper and more abundantly available. So they modified their recipes to use more meat.
Probably a combination of both of your theories
@@richdiddens4059see, I heard something similar to this in the Good Eats revival episode on chicken Parmesan. "There was finally enough", in reference to all the different meats available to immigrants in the US.
Vincenzo you uncle Rodger and Joshua are my favorite food TH-camrs !
When I was a child we had some Italian-American friends who made wonderful meatballs. They always served them with rigatoni or penne instead of spaghetti and it makes a big difference. That way you have the chunks of meatball and chunks of pasta together.
Your Italian-American friends had a tasty idea! 🍝 Mixing meatballs with rigatoni or penne allows for a perfect bite with both pasta and meatball in one go. A delightful twist on a classic! 😋👌🇮🇹
VincenzoGPT 😂😂😂
Yes, go😢 V!!! I'm glad you mentioned the "key" to moist meatballs (soaked breadcrumb). Makes ALL the difference! I actually use heavy cream 😋
Hey there! 😄 Absolutely, soaked breadcrumbs are a game-changer for moist meatballs. Heavy cream sounds indulgent! 🥛 Keep those delicious tips coming! 😁👍
So I was born and raised in the USA but.........I have several Italian friends, including grandmothers and never heard of small meatballs. I do want to make them and will but I also want to explain how we eat these larger meatballs with spaghetti. We break up the meatball into 4 parts with a swirl of pasta. This is a tasty way to eat spaghetti w meatballs even though they are larger.
I never thought of the "mini meatball" as being able to have a meatball in every bite. You learn something new every day! However, American sized meatballs are great for meatball subs.
Vincenzo always wonders why things changed when the got to America. It is simple, it Italy you had many regions with diffeent cuisines spread out. They all came to America and blended in the same few neighborhoods. Soon elements and modifications from different regions were added to dishes, transforming them. And over time it became the American-Italian we know. Italy still stays regional with their foods with limited blending. America the immigrants mashed everything from Tuscany to Sicily into one cuisine.
I would like to add, that also in America, there was more meat avalible and at an inexpensive price compared to Italy. So Italian Immigramts started using more meat in their dishes than was traditional.
Joshua is amazing, and I love that you, Vincenzo, liked his spaghetti and meatballs. Side note as an American, I never liked those huge meatballs that are served in restaurants. You have shown us that smaller is better when it comes to meatballs, and I completely agree. Great video, awesome review!
Disagree whole heartily. I very much enjoy them even as their own dish!
The "dog food" is our less expensive way of packaging ground meat in America. My local butcher from my hometown only packaged his ground meat like that and it was very high quality. He didn't want to waste money on Styrofoam and other packaging materials. That's also how many package ground wild game meat. It doesn't look as nice, but it saves money and creates less waste!
Never knew the meatballs were originally small. Honestly, it sounds way more enjoyable to eat that way.
Most ground meat in the USA comes in plastic trays, but when you see it in cylinders like that, it's usually because it was treated to prevent spoilage. That's useful if you only go shopping once a week and don't want food poisoning if you're cooking the meat the night before you go shopping again. You can also find the more premium grass fed beef in vacuum sealed blocks.
For the ground beef here in the U.S. you can still get it the way you are probably use to seeing it from the butcher, it's the most common way. What he was using is just another way of packaging it in a plastic wrap that seals it completely and there is no air and none of the blood spilling out. It's easier for shipping and storing in the freezer for longer periods. It's the same thing and taste the same it just gets compressed a little more due to the packaging. You can also get big 5lb(2.26kg) packages of it so it just makes it easier to keep it stored since it's completely sealed and air tight.
As a Filipino who is determined to adapt Italy's culture. I'm thinking about making Spaghetti Italian style for my family.
Good for you.
now here's a collab I cant wait for!
Joshua and Vincenzo please make a video together!
The addition of mortadella is indeed potentially revolutionary 🤤 i'll have to try it out !!
Absolutely! Mortadella can add a delightful twist to meatballs, making them even more flavorful and moist. Give it a try and let your taste buds do the talking! 😋👨🍳👌
We have tried out the meatballs with mortadella and ground fennel. This was quite a fine culinary experience we had. Tanks for the suggestion.
Everytime i cook pasta there’s a tiny Vincenzo voice in my head 😂 we love you 🥰 from algeria
Haha this is so funny! Sending love and delicious vibes all the way to Algeria. I hope you'll continue to support my channel!
@@vincenzosplate i will always do you’re the best
The large meatballs remind of swedish Köttbullar 😋 totally agree on really small ones, fresh pasta - Vincenzo is right!
$2 ?? No way, that must be a per plate cost. Here in Indiana those imported certified Italian tomatoes are $4.80 for a 28oz can. The whole pan will cost $25 minimum here. I use those exact ingredients and I also grow and preserve San Marzano tomatoes in my garden, they are the best!
Wow, prices can vary a lot! 🍅🌱 In Indiana, it seems like the imported Italian tomatoes are a bit pricier. Lucky you for growing and preserving San Marzano tomatoes! 🙌🍅 Homemade is always the best! 🍝😋
@@vincenzosplatein Los Angeles canned tomatoes are at least 6 dollars.
Yes, Josh did say that the price was per plate
I love where you’re going with these vids. I hope you get a chance to cook alongside Joshua like Andy did. Your food is awesome. I’m a fan. And hopefully you get alongside Nat too! That would be epic 😁
I believe I have heard it said here in America before "Go Big or Go Home!!!" 😂😂😂......Biggie size them balls!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Refreshing to see you review good recipes. You deserve the rest
Would love to see a video with you making meatballs with mortadella and see your expression of the flavor (of course small meatballs). Great video as always
The spaghetti with small meatballs Vincenzo look gorgeous and elegant! I think I will try that but also adding mortadella. I think that would ramp up the humble meatball a lot!
Absolutely! The small meatballs add a touch of texture to the dish and adding mortadella sounds like a fantastic plan. It's a game-changer! Buon appetito.
I'm an American and I like my meatballs on the larger side, but I don't like them too large (the best size for me is somewhere between the size of my thumb nail and an American 25 cent piece). I like to be able to twirl some pasta around my fork and then stab a whole meatball and take a bite. I think a nice crust is very important on meatballs. It adds a different texture that compliments the pasta.
Thanks for the tips Vincenzo , love it!
You're very welcome! 😄 Glad you're enjoying the tips and culinary discussions! Keep cooking and savoring those delicious flavors! 🍽️👨🍳👌
I truly love your channel brother. Keep it going!! Ciao. 🙌🏼💪🏼🇮🇹🇺🇸❤️👍🏼
When I was visiting family in nyc earlier this year, I had dinner in a restaurant owned by a chef from Abruzzo. I had the Chitarra Con Polpettine (with the tiny meatballs) and it was so wonderful.
Dear Vincenzo,
I have already cooked some of your pasta recipes and am delighted. Your spaghetti and meatballs recipe is unrivalled. If you could now decide to make a good caponata video, I (and not just me, I suspect) would be very happy.
I got a secondhand pasta machine for $15. It’s probably easier to use the stand mixer with attachment, but mine works just fine for me. It’s what I could afford and it does what it’s supposed to.
My two favourite things in THE WORLD... Mortadella and meatballs... LET'S PUT THEM TOGETHER!!! YEY! xx
Yes Vincenzo! Ever since I started watching you I always use tong for my pasta and don’t drain it now! Love your content sir!
Fennel in the meatballs and he has redeemed himself - I agree on the size, I make them small, bake them a bit so they sweat, then finish them in the sauce.
I have only seen the tiny meatballs in Italian Wedding Soup or Chef boyardee!
Joshua's recipe has been my Go-To for pasta night since I saw it last year! I can whip it up in about half an hour (longer if I make the pasta from scratch), It's good, and economical! I'll try Vincenzo's suggestion of making tiny meatballs next time I make it!
hey vincenzo, i think i have the answer to why when the food went to america the portion sizes got bigger. So basically when Italians came to america, the diary was cheaper, the meat was cheaper, and the locally grown cheeses were extremely cheap, and so since this was the case rather than having tiny meatballs, for the same price u could have much much bigger ones and more of the bigger ones... so in essence it jus came down to how cheap the meat prices were back then
Food in Texas was pretty cheap when I was shopping there. I live in Hawaii and food prices out here are high. I buy De Cecco pasta from Amazon at $2 a box. At Safeway in Hawaii, it's $5.39
I always wondered that about the meatballs as well. It turns out, the portions of Italian food, including the size of meatballs, got bigger in North America as the first and second generation Italian immigrants started making more money from the work and opportunity they came here in search of. They had more money for ingredients like meat and cheese and ate more of it. Fun fact for the day :)
i had meatballs in Rome at a place called Da Enzo, it had mortadella in them, was nice but i was not totally convinced...Romans must like them. When i make the meatballs i deep fry them until brownish then put them into the sauce. this way they keep the nice uniformed shape.
The Italian-American "spaghetti and meatballs" really doesn't trace its origins to the dish of spaghetti alla chitarra with mini meatballs from Abruzzo. That dish is just a hyper-regional local speciality which even today is relatively unknown in the rest of Italy. It makes no sense to imagine that all Italian immigrants knew this recipe and then just over time forgot how to make it. It makes much more sense to realise that it was just Italian immigrants making the usual more generic southern Italian polpette (in the local style of their own region), which was (and still is) traditionally served as the meat course after a primo of pasta dressed with the sauce from the meatballs. Then over time, as people got used to different styles of meal service in the new world, eventually they just started serving the pasta with sauce _and_ the polpette in one plate, instead of as part of a multi-course meal. It was really as simple as that. This isn't to say the mini meatball dish from Teramo isn't awesome - it is. But it's not the "ancestor" of spaghetti and meatballs.
You bring up an interesting perspective! 🤔 It's true that Italian-American cuisine evolved in unique ways. While the origins of "spaghetti and meatballs" may have varied, it's all about celebrating the delicious fusion that emerged. Let's keep enjoying these tasty traditions! 😄🍝🇮🇹
Let's say that Italians in America have then also adapted to the American system of often putting various things on the same plate, just as, for example, they put a roasted chicken steak on top of a plate of spaghetti. Whereas the tradition here in Italy has always been to put things in separate dishes, making the famous Primo Piatto (first course) and Secondo Piatto (second course). In fact, large meatballs in tomato sauce are obviously made by us, but we serve them as a second course and not together with spaghetti.
For the ground beef, it is very common in the US. It is also available in Canada, but not as popular. I think it has to do with the fact that wrapped like this, it's easier to ship due to the reduced packaging size, and it may be able to stay fresh longer, due to the fact that it contains almost no air.
For the entire 15 minutes of the video, I was only thinking about how the hell he makes such small meatballs. I'm off to look at this recipe immediately.
Vincenzo is the best. I've based so much of my cooking off him and I have complaints, nor get any complaints.
Yes the grabbing of pasta out of the water with tongs, I do that also thanks to you Vincenzo ❤️ I use my pasta water all the time now thanks to you
My first true Italian dish I made was carbonara thanks to you 🙏 ❤ and I used my pasta water
This reaction is great.
It looks so yummy but I agree the small meatballs would be easier to eat and you would get yumminess in every mouthful.
My Nona is from Abruzzi and uses the tiny meatballs in her lasagna too. Amazing
0:46. Caro Vincenzo, e quello quando le cose approdano in America, non solo nella maggior parte dei casi si trasformano, ma si ingigantiscono anche automaticamente ! Si gonfiano durante il trasporto. 😉😀
Ciao! 😂 Hai proprio ragione, quando le cose attraversano l'oceano, sembrano diventare giganti! 😆🇺🇸 Ma l'importante è che il sapore rimanga autentico! 😉👌
Spaghetti and meatballs was introduced to America in the 1880's. The Italians who moved to the U.S created bigger meatballs for a couple of reasons. Meat was much cheaper and Americans themsleves wanted more meat. I would love for Vincezo to research Italian American food and how it changed by the very Italians who moved to the U.S.
Hey there! 😄 Interesting tidbit! 🍝 Italians in the U.S. sure made some meaty changes to our beloved dishes! Will definitely consider it for future episodes. 🇮🇹🇺🇸
@@vincenzosplateI’d be very happy if you also had a look at South American Italian dishes like Argentinian pizza fugazzeta or Peruvian green spaghetti with their own spinach and basil pesto , I think you’d be pleasantly surprised
At 4:44, Yes that's how ground meat is sometimes packed in the US! In the packing it looks like a huge sausage link wrapped in plastic. Usually, it's about 1 pound(.45 kilos) in weight. Typically, its pork or hamburger and the cheaper stuff.
I love your videos and just like you Joshua is my favorite you tube chef his recipes have never disappointed
Ciao amico! Grazie mille for your kind words and support! Joshua is a fantastic chef, and I'm honored to be in such great company.
I think the reason for larger meatballsin the US was the availability of meat and the fact that people were not willing to spend the time to make them. Personally, I like smaller meatballs to eat, but when I am making them at home, I do go for larger because making so many tiny meatballs is tedious
You CAN buy ground meat here in the US like that in tubes, but I do not. I suppose some people don't mint, but it always seems very fatty. Also, I like to see the meat I am buying. In those tubes, that is not possible. God Bless 🥰
The reason the ground beef looks like that is because Josh probably got it in rolled form. In the US, for easier transportation, some companies roll ground beef in plastic wrappers similar to sausage meat. It just compresses it some compared to having it on a plastic or foam container with plastic wrapping.
There’s a huge Italian community in Australia. Has their been any Australian Italian dishes created? We only here about American Italian dishes. I never hear about Argentinian Italian dishes, Australian Italian dishes, Canadian Italian dishes…. Just wondering lol 🤷♂️
I'm happy to see you also prefer meatballs cooked in the sauce over fried first. Agreed that sugar should never be added to a good sauce. Josh did a good job even if his meatballs were a little too large. It is an American thing. Mortadella? You can try it first and let us know if it's worth the trouble.
I watched him for cooking a Prime Rib...came out awesome! I have little experience when cooking large meats
The ground beef looked like that because it was overworked. The more you work fround beef, the more it'll have a sausage patty consistency.
Learned that one from chef brian tsao and frenchie
Joshua is great, really. Actually I only watch your channel for italian food and Joshua for everything else. Aaaah and Nat if I am in a mood to laugh🙂
Ciao Vincenzo! All I can say from an Italian American perspective is this dish is a combination of polpette al sugo e spaghetti as a way to cater to American eating habits. The very fast pace of life we have here we don’t have time to serve these dishes separately and like you said everything becomes bigger here portion wise also the addition to tons of garlic everywhere. It was made as a way to market to the American taste and lifestyle while retaining some cultural influence as well so we could survive and thrive in a different world. As is with a majority of Italian American dishes. Love your content fratello keep up what you do!
Edit: no crema nella carbonara 😤 che un peccato!
Never known or heard of tiny meatballs but I really like the idea. I cook the large ones like Joshua, and it's nice as they become a feature of the dish, having to cut them and you get a mouthful. Especially if you put nice flavours in them, like Mortadella, or pork and beef (instead of just one) etc.
I'm going to cook your little balls next time though, see how it is.
Hahahaah Enzo freaking a lot for the minced meat packages... I saw those this year in Mexico and thought similarly (except I´ve never seen dog food like that) and was skeptical but, it does keep the meat super fresh, and I prefer that packaging now! I gues Aussies do love their dogos if they package their food in that way.
I am from Denmark and the thing i like about italy is you dont mess with their farvorite football team, you dont mess with their wine and you definetly dont mess with spaghetti 😂❤
Yes Vincenzo........we have meat like that in America. You can find it in every WalMart. It is the super cheap stuff for people who are hard on their luck. I've never bought it, and I no longer buy the regular meat at WalMart either. I buy almost all of my meat from 2 different farmers. Joshua is making $2 spaghetti and meatballs.......so he bought the super cheap ground beef that looks like pet food. If he bought the regular ground beef it wouldn't be possible to make the dish for $2.
The meat I am speaking of probably costs about half as much as regular ground beef. It's cheap. It's gross. It's for people who are struggling with poverty. It's probably a mixture of cows from 7 different countries from all over the world. Very unhealthy.
I know you will find this funny, I bought some genuine high quality Italian dried pasta. Cooked it for the recommended time and to me it was perfect, absolutely perfect. But who I was cooking for has no teeth. So they could not bite through it. Another 10 mins of cooking, still fairly al-dente, they could still not bite through it. Another 10 mins and they could. REAL italian pasta can be way overcooked and still stay really chewy, it's great.
Frozen balls are the best. I make huge batches, freeze some so they are ready at any given time as a snack. 20 min in the oven, and they are perfect.
Where I grew up, there is no meat balls, everything is integrated, my spaghetti sause have mushroom/carrots/celery and i've recently added squash, it helps w the texture and keep the sauce co-hesive.
Big meatballs, when you break in half with fork, it exposes large surface area that has not been in contact with the sauce.....I like the sauce to spend time touching the meat!
Had a cousin who came to visit from Sicily years ago, and she marveled at how much meat we eat. She told us that meat was super expensive there, so they ate it sparingly. The meatballs they made was nearly half bread, and that's how I make mine. To me it makes the meatballs much lighter and not clog your pipes, if you know what I mean.
Using more bread in meatballs sounds like a smart idea for keeping them light. Appreciate the tip!
And cheaper
Should react to Josh’s “cooking for an Italian grandma” video if you haven’t yet!
Im french canadian and even us make big meatballs , you cut a piece with every bites ! I need to try the small ones as the reparation through the pasta might be more balanced !
Hey Vicenzo, I'm guessing you fry the meatballs before freezing them? And straight out of the freezer and into the sauce pan, right? Thanks so much for your recipes, buddy, they're another
level, like you say.
Everything gets bigger when it gets to the US 😂 Doesn’t mean it’s better though - your version makes sense so you taste the meatballs and spaghetti together in every mouthful 👍
Italian home cooking starts with using fresh local ingredients. Not ingredients from the other side of the world. When cooking Italian, you make sure you know all the ingredients well. Everything local from nearby. Where, so to speak, you know the fields where your local farmer grows his crops. You know what the meat of the day is at your butcher. Where you buy your piece of fish early in the morning on the quay when the fishing boats moor. In short, fresh products from local farmers, butchers, fishermen, ... that is authentic Italian cuisine Nonna's way.
Absolutely, my friend! You've captured the heart of Italian home cooking perfectly. That's the essence of authentic Italian cuisine, just like Nonna used to make. Glad you enjoyed this so much.
A crossover between you two would be sick. Idk if I will but strongly thinking about combining your two recipes to see how good these can be. And yeah, the large meatballs was always so weird. I should defo do it for people so they can be converted
I like spaghetti and meatballs. Anyway and size. I have tried and enjoy both of of the recipes referred to in this video. Neither one more than the other.
That's the spirit! 🍝😄 No matter the size or recipe, as long as it's spaghetti and meatballs, it's all good! 🇮🇹
I agree about the meatball size. My family is doesn't make meatballs to go with pasta, they are stand alone. When it comes to spaghetti and meat balls we would just make a Bolognese or an Americanized meat sauce
Cibo italo americano! YUM
From what I've noticed, American recipes are usually a mish mash of multiple recipes from all over the world.
For this one, I'm guessing it something like swedish meatballs with an italian sauce and pasta and they called it Italian meatballs
I'm cooking my way through Joshua's cookbook now. I really like the way it is organized. I'm planning on making your porchetta ,from your video for my family on New Year's Day. might you be producing a cookbook of your traditional recipes? I sdure hope so!
Mortadella in meatballs sounds amazing to me!
Because of Vincenzo's Plate I no longer make carbonara with cream. LOL! And when I tell my Italian friends here in the US they look at me like I'm from Mars. I guess they have been taught the way it's done here and not the traditional way.
Vince, easy fix to lose the echo: use headphones.
Love your content!
Some place in Italy has to do that way spaghetti and meatballs, because in Argentina the meatballs are also huge and I'm pretty sure that we get the recipe from the italian immigrants 🤣 However, I ask myself the same question: why US meat is almost pink? Meat needs to be red. RED. Pink meat on my country means that cannot be consumed anymore. None the less, it looks like a great plate and the mortadela it's something that I'm going to try 😊
We have a very large Italian population where i live depending on the family restaurant you go to you can get large meatballs, small meatballs or meat sauce.
I seriously hate having to cut up half a burger ball in my spaghetti and meatballs. I need to try the small meatball method!!
I lived in Napoli for 10 plus years, and I never had spaghetti with meatballs .
It's probably because of my of my addiction to carbonara or vongole . My mom used to make ....😂
Thanks for the video, I think I will try Mortadella next time.
Mini meatballs are so much better... More work for the cook, yes, but so much better for the diners... Thanks for making me aware of this, Vincenzo!
Glad you agree with me my friend! Once you try the version with tiny meatballs you never go back to the American one!
@@vincenzosplate Yep! Thank you so much for helping me to understand the traditional way to cook Italian food!
Joshua is absolutely an Italian approved American lol
🙈🙈🙈
He just needs to shrink the size of the meatballs and then we are almost there. 😉
What happened to the dish? It got bigger when it got to America 😅😂😅😂