Meatballs with mozzarella

Ingredients:

• 2 stale slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 700 g of ground beef
• 0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Half an onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 large egg
• 18 small cubes (about 1 cm each) mozzarella (150 g)
• 6 tbsp. ready marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• Hot boiled pasta, for serving

Preparation:

1. Grate the bread coarsely; place in a large bowl. Add milk and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the milk. Add ground beef, Parmesan, parsley, onion, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper; stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
2. Form the meat mixture into 18 meatballs, placing a piece of mozzarella in the center of each, making sure it's completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. In a large Dutch oven or large, wide saucepan, bring the marinara sauce to a very gentle simmer. Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook in batches, turning occasionally and adding the remaining oil as needed, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
4. Transfer the fried meatballs to the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot pasta.