thanks alix, i had no choice and proceeded to make them without the eggs... they felt very different in rolling them and they were, as verablue said, denser and heavier.... after cooking they felt somewhat crumblier.... so, auntdot, i agree with you I prefer them with eggs and by the way, i only use the yolks...
verablue, i am the chef at a small italian restaurant and work with the owners who are born and raised in italy, therefore, they haven't been exposed to the "worldly" italian cuisine but rather the authentic cuisine they have enjoyed at their moms', aunts', grandmas', etc... anyways, italians will often use finely diced prosciutto cotto (cooked ham) and several different cured and smoked meats incorporated into their meatballs, which give them a different dimension to taste, the smokiness comes through and the meatballs pack more flavor.... i think the single most important element in making the meatballs unique is the addition of the bread soaked in milk as this alone makes a huge texture difference, as the bread introduces the milk rendering it moist inside and a softness as you bite into it that the meat alone could never give you.... when i make the meatballs, i fry them gently in olive oil first until browned all around yet still somewhat raw inside, then i throw them in a basic pomodoro sauce and let them cook through and absorb some sauce flavor although you can skip the browning in oil for a different result... and lastly, in answer to your question, NO I absolutely do NOT serve them with pasta - spaghetti and meatballs is an american thing (possibly an "italian-american" thing) and italians scoff at the thought of it, we serve the meatballs as an antipasto, stand alone with some of the tomato sauce on a bed of sauteed julienned strips of carrot and zucchini