Orecchiette with tiny lamb meatballs

Cutlets and meatballs

The tiny meatballs need to nestle perfectly into the orecchiette in this dish. The key to meat in pasta is that the meat, be it guanciale or pancetta or sausage crumbles, needs to be in every bite, without demanding attention or overpowering the taste of the dish. <br /> <br />I like to make the dish with lamb meatballs because lamb is such an iconic meat in Italy, and one of my favorites for its pronounced, slightly gamey flavor. We get merguez-y with it here, adding some coriander and dried ginger to the mix. But no matter the meat, I always keep the size of the meatballs tiny—1/4-inch pieces is ideal, but if you find that too small, don't exceed more than 1/2-inch.