Middle Eastern Kofta Meatballs with Hummus

Step 1

Get ready. Heat your oven to 425°F. Lightly brush a large sheet pan with a thin layer of olive oil.

Step 2

Soak the bread until very tender. In a large bowl cover the bread with 1 cup of water. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Prepare the fresh seasonings. While the bread soaks, add the onion, garlic, and parsley (set aside a small handful of leaves for garnish) to a food processor and pulse until they are finely minced. You can also do this by hand if you'd like, just make sure everything is very finely chopped.

Step 4

Crumble the bread. Use your hands to squeeze the liquid out of the bread. Discard the water and crumble the bread slice back into the bowl. This is the secret to a juicy meatball!

Step 5

Make the meatball mixture. Into the bowl with the bread, add a good drizzle of olive oil, the onion and garlic mixture, ground meat, allspice, cardamom, paprika, sumac, nutmeg, cayenne, and a big pinch each of kosher salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix it all together, making sure everything is well combined.

Step 6

Roll the meatballs. Form the meat mixture into small balls, just slightly larger than the size of a golf ball. Arrange them on the prepared sheet pan without touching.

Step 7

Bake the meatballs. Place in the oven and bake, turning over halfway through, until the meatballs are well browned and the center is no longer pink, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 8

Toast the pine nuts. While the meatballs roast, set a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and the pine nuts. Toast, stirring, until they are fragrant and golden. Stay close by and stir constantly so they don’t burn. Transfer to a small plate.

Step 9

Make the sizzled Aleppo oil. A few minutes before the meatballs have cooked through, return the skillet where you toasted the pine nuts to medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the Aleppo pepper. You just want to warm and flavor the oil. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat.

Step 10

Assemble. Remove the meatballs from the oven. Spread hummus on a plate or platter, using a spoon to make swoops and swirls. Pour the warmed oil over the hummus and top with meatballs. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and reserved parsley leaves. Serve with pita bread on the side.