Prepare the meatballs

Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or line with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Put all ingredients for the meatballs (except the olive oil) in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until blended. Form the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs approximately 2-inches in diameter (a cookie scoop is perfect for this), arranging them on the baking sheet. To smooth out their shape, moisten your hands and lightly roll into balls.

Bake 10 minutes. Turn the meatballs over with a spatula or tongs and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with orzo or add to marinara sauce.

Make the orzo

While the meatballs are baking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook the orzo until al dente, according to the package directions.

Put the tomatoes in a colander. Drain the orzo into the colander over the tomatoes (this will instantly soften them). Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the cheese, butter and parsley.