Matty Matheson is a big guy. With an enormous personality. And a huge star of the monster hit show, the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning “The Bear.”

So, when he puts his mind to making meatballs, you know they’re going to be outsized.

Giant — to be exact.

In fact, these babies weigh in at 8 ounces each, and are served one per person centered in a bowl of tomato-laced soup with plenty of tiny thimble-shaped pasta.

Now, that’s a meal. And then some.

“Giant Meatball Soup in Beefy Tomato Broth” is a recipe from his newest cookbook, “Matty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

The Toronto restaurateur who owns a bevy of establishments, including Prime Seafood Palace, has put together a collection of 126 recipes to enjoy one at a time or to combine for the ultimate Matheson meal.

They are fun, inventive, and can definitely veer toward over-the-top.

Sink your teeth into everything from “Red Curry Lobster Soup” and “Banh Mi Salad with Roasted Pork Belly” to “Tempura Banana Split Sandwich with All the Fixings” and “Lasagna Submarine” (which is exactly what you think it is in one carb lover’s ultimate sandwich).

These behemoth meatballs call for 1 pound of ground beef, 8 ounces of ground veal, and 8 ounces of ground pork. Since ground veal is not the easiest thing to find, I substituted ground pork for it instead. So, my meatballs were equal parts ground beef and ground pork, which worked just fine.

The ground meat gets mixed with eggs, Parmesan, and bread crumbs, then divided into four balls that get roasted in a very hot oven for about 10 minutes to get a sear on.

Meantime, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and garlic get sauteed in a Dutch oven. Then, in goes tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, beef stock, and bay leaves, which are all brought to a simmer.

Add the meatballs to the pot, and continue simmering for about 1 hour. Then add ditalini pasta and cook until al dente.

Ladle the soup into big shallow bowls and place a meatball in the middle of each one. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and more Parmesan.

The soup will thicken up a lot after the pasta has finished cooking. In fact, if you have leftovers, you will need to add more broth the next day, as the pasta will have sucked up most of the liquid, rendering the dish more like a saucy pasta with little resemblance to soup.

The meatballs are moist and tender, with a homey texture akin to meatloaf. The broth is hearty and nourishing — just what you want to spoon up at this time of year.

This recipe is supposed to serve 4. In reality, it will serve more — easily. Because for most folks, myself included, an 8-ounce meatball is just too much in one sitting. So, after they’re cooked, slice the meatballs into segments like an orange and divide among as many as 6 to 8 bowls, if you like.

That way you can have your giant meatballs — but in a more manageable way.

Giant Meatball Soup in Beefy Tomato Broth

(Serves 4 to 8)

1 pound ground beef

8 ounces ground veal (or substitute 8 ounces ground pork)

8 ounces ground pork

2 eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 cup dry bread crumbs

7 garlic cloves, minced (about 7 teaspoons)

1/4 bunch parsley, chopped, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Canola oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, not drained

Two 32-ounce boxes beef stock (see Note)

2 bay leaves

2 cups dried ditalini pasta

Extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, place all the ground meat with the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, 3 teaspoons of the garlic, the parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and lots of black pepper. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put a little olive oil on your hands and roll the mixture into 4 softball-sized meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet, then set aside until ready to roast.

Preheat your oven to 500°F.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour in the diced tomatoes, beef stock, and bay leaves. simmer for 15 minutes.

When the soup starts to simmer, roast your meatballs until brown, hopefully less than 10 minutes. After they begin browning, give them a shake so they can get golden brown evenly all over.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and drop them into the soup. Continue simmering for 1 hour. At the 1-hour mark, pour in the pasta and cook until it is al dente according to package directions.

Remove the bay leaves. Get a big ol’ ladle of everything into a bowl with a meatball in the middle. If you want to get fancy, cut the meatball into segments like an orange in the bowl. Garnish with olive oil, black pepper, Parmesan, and parsley.

Note: If you have leftovers, you’ll probably want to add more beef stock to the soup the next day to enjoy, as the pasta will have absorbed much of the liquid.

Adapted from “Matty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches” by Matty Matheson

More Meatballs to Enjoy: Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs

And: Chicken & ‘Nduja Meatballs

And: Chicken (or Turkey)-Zucchini Meatballs with Feta

And: Coq Au Vin Blanc Meatballs

And: Lamb Meatballs with Warm Yogurt and Swiss Chard

And: Lamb-Ricotta Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce

And: Spiced Meatballs with Green Olive & Tomato Sauce

And: Vietnamese Pork Meatball Banh Mi Fried Rice